In the show on Europa FM, Piața Victoriei, last Thursday, Adriana Săftoiu anticipated, not only based on instinct, but also on some information, that in the last week of the campaign, some information, some recordings would emerge that would blow up the presidential hierarchy. It is the ideal moment for the silver bullet, too close to the election for a strategy of combat and forgetfulness.
It was to be confirmed even sooner, because after only 4 days, the obscure sovereignist candidate who won his second term as a Member of the European Parliament being the head of the AUR list stated on Antena3 that in Brussels there are some photos known that depict George Simion in the company of GRU agents.
Sure, Mr. Terheș' credibility is minimal. The man changed sides whenever he had an interest. First, he was a fervent anti-PSD, extremely pro-Justice, then he became a Member of the European Parliament on the PSD list, fervently anti-Justice, allied with AUR to receive a lucrative new mandate in Brussels, then broke with Simion, and now throws him under the bus.
I wonder if he found out about the photos before or after becoming a Member of the European Parliament under Simion's signature? A great man and great character, of course.
But beyond the sulfurous profile of the information source, surely it cannot be overlooked, whether we are talking about an authentic disclosure or a campaign manipulation.
The probability of it being true is enhanced by older episodes left unclarified: the ban received by Simion to enter the Republic of Moldova, renewed for another five years in February, the statement of Prime Minister Ciolacu, made in March, that he had seen the documents that formed the basis of the ban, the statements of former Defense Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Anatol Şalaru, precisely about Simion's contacts with Russian agents.
If the photos really exist and Mr. Simion's contact with Russian agents is documented, it means either that Romania's intelligence services are worthless if they didn't know, or treacherous if they didn't react, or that the beneficiaries of the information should be judged for high treason.
That is, we disqualify Şoşoacă for scandalous statements, but we allow him to run and even benefit from Şoşoacă's elimination based on documented collaboration with Russian spies? Such a thing is inconceivable. Has anyone cynically assumed that a collaborator of Russian espionage should enter the presidential final?
And Mr. Simion is not just an individual independent. He leads a party that came second in the European elections and could achieve a high score in the parliamentary elections. Has anyone assumed that a party of a proven Russian agent, not just suspected, should have a significant say in the future parliament just for an electoral advantage?
What credibility can Romania have if a documented agent of Russia is advancing towards the highest position in the state? A state on NATO's border with war.
As I said, it is possible that the disclosure is just a campaign scandal, and the profile of the person bringing the information does not invalidate, on the contrary, I would say, this possibility. In whose interest would the scandal have erupted? The most likely beneficiary would be Nicolae Ciucă, in an intense campaign to profile himself as the savior against the danger of Simion.
The main message of the liberals conveys that Nicolae Ciucă must be voted for so that Simion does not reach the second round, a hypothesis even more serious in the context of this scandal.
But no matter how inept and unsuitable a character like George Simion may be, there are things that no one has the right to play with. Because such a disclosure exposes not only a candidate, but Romania itself. Just as the removal of Şoşoacă was not just a necessary sanitary act, but an extremely dangerous precedent for democracy.
It is unlikely that such a disclosure, if it turns out to be true, will demobilize Simion's electorate. Those who vote for him have already assumed the idea of the pro-Russian candidate AUR. But it can mobilize the electorate scared of Russia's influence and directed towards a useful and saving vote.
However, there is also a downside - if the evidence does not appear, Simion will be able to play the victim, which will further mobilize his electorate.
There is immense irresponsibility somewhere in this whole story and it should not go unpunished for touching on extremely serious themes and effects.