This text is addressed to suffocated moderates, with whom I identify. Those of you who felt that on May 4th there was no name on the voting list that resonated with you. Those of you who do not trust, for whatever reason/reasons, any of the candidates in the final.
Those disgusted and inhibited by the immense and unrestrained propaganda of the past two weeks practiced by both sides, by the press cartelized on one side or the other, those to whom it seems like you’ve seen this movie before and it didn’t turn out well, which is why a rerun is necessary.
Those of you horrified that expressing doubts, maintaining a critical spirit, not fainting for the sake of one candidate or another has become a reason for lynching. Those insulted that both sides want to manipulate you with broad strokes.
Those worried that they have to be held accountable for their choice or non-choice, that in a democracy you can be cursed at for having an opinion. Those who may have suppressed their doubts and legitimate questions in order not to be stoned by one side or the other.
In short, those who normally do not feel they have any electoral reason to go to vote on May 18th and who do not identify with the general hysteria.
Normally. But we are not in normal times. And the issue is not that we will leave the EU or NATO. A president cannot take us out, he does not have the necessary prerogatives. Hungary and Slovakia are in the EU and NATO.
The issue is whether or not we will end up like Greece in 2015, meaning economic collapse. The real danger is not being able to pay pensions and salaries, losing all savings in banks, government bonds, queuing at ATMs for a few lei per day, the historic devaluation of the leu.
For Greece, the exit was still accessible, albeit with great difficulty, because it is a Western holiday destination and because it is in the euro area, and its total collapse would have dragged down the single currency as well. We do not meet any of the above conditions.
You will say that George Simion is neither crazy with proper documents nor suicidal, so politically he will not have an interest in causing such a result that would sweep him off first, like Alexis Tsipras, and end his political career. This is an absolutely viable argument.
But in the international markets, which need to continue lending to Romania, what matters first and foremost is perception, image.
And the two weeks in which George Simion tried to transition towards a kind of Javier Milei economically, and Georgia Meloni politically, were too short to convince.
With him as president, AUR's accession to government will be inevitable, in a broader or narrower formula, a party that has not even mimicked a move towards a decent European area yet.
There has been too much talk of nationalizations, investors have been chastised and threatened for too long by George Simion and AUR for them to suddenly be credible.
And a non-euro Romania, with a huge deficit, led by a president perceived as extremist and anti-business, with a government in which there is or even just one party perceived the same way, is not credible and cannot obtain the funding that Romania depends on.
In contrast, their defeat is expected to bring relief and help Romania overcome the hurdle.
That's what it's about. Not about who we like or not. Neither me nor you, none of those on the list.
It's not about who you trust on the list. Neither me nor you, none of them. And no one has the right to judge you and accuse you for that.
The sole objective, for many of you and for me since the first round, has been to prevent the risk of Romania's economic collapse. That will be my vote on Sunday and I urge you to consider if yours should be the same.