The first message after definitively being eliminated from the race reveals the measure of Călin Georgescu’s hypocrisy. After erecting a statue for the merit of exposing the „demon in all its hideousness,” he announces to the awakened people that he leaves it to the Lord to decide who to vote for. Goodbye and I am speechless!
Normally, the shepherd of the flock should have proposed, assumed a successor to remain alongside, whom to support, and who would take up the standard.
Ultimately, simply revealing, as you claim, the "hideous demon" does not solve the issue. It must, doesn't it?, be defeated by a fighter whom the true ousted leader cunningly removes from the fight to support and guide him. What should the people do with the hydra without a leader?
In fact, Mr. Georgescu is, as he was from the beginning, in a mode of personal survival, and his current interest is to get rid of the serious legal problems that are looming as cheaply as possible.
For this, he either negotiates with a candidate with high chances of winning who guarantees him credibly that he will pardon him, or he tries to make a pact with the demon. For now, the sudden abandonment seems to suggest the second option, but surely there is still room for negotiation.
It is certain that George Simion and Anamaria Gavrilă have announced their candidacies without a word from Mr. Georgescu, on their own. They conveyed that this is the messianic will, but he himself did not show up, perhaps upset that the people, though awakened, did not take to the streets.
Mr. Georgescu's strategy for individual survival has left the extremist camp in a major crisis. With only 4 days before the candidate lists are closed, they found themselves looking for a name with chances.
Pulled by the hair and pushed with fists towards candidacy
Of course, in normal circumstances, the one who should have taken over the candidacy is George Simion. However, he needed to be pulled by the hair and pushed with fists towards candidacy. Why, it's not hard to understand.
George Simion actually lost miserably back in November, despite the influx of votes from the PSD. Because it's contradictory, hence not credible.
He started as anti-system, then tried an external re-credibilization of AUR as a mainstream party. He lost the radicals, but still hasn't managed to truly validate himself as an approachable party for pro-European conservatives. Precisely because of his inconsistent profile, there was room for Georgescu's rise.
If he were to run without Georgescu's blessing, he would have minimal chances against Ponta in the extremist area.
Georgescu's blessing, adopting his discourse, and a potential tandem with him as prime minister would mean the destruction of the fragile external credibility that Simion has worked so hard to build.
In both scenarios, the chances of winning are slim, and defeat would cost him the leadership of the party.
Even if he doesn't run, the effect would be the same. A leader who shies away from the fight is not an authentic leader. And in both cases, Claudiu Târziu was lurking - a vocal critic of Simion, including the lack of a backup plan for Georgescu's inevitable elimination.
Evidently, the dual candidacy is intended to serve as a safety net in case Mr. Simion is also eliminated, following his statement about skinning BEC members.
It's unlikely to happen, but a bit of victimization for Mr. Simion wouldn't hurt in the electoral equation. Displaying this uncertainty is also an attempt to adopt Călin Georgescu's anti-system status. In other words, Simion becomes the public enemy of the system in place of Georgescu.
If Simion is called to the Prosecutor's Office in the incitement case for "skinning," it would be an electoral godsend.
On the other hand, the system doesn't even need to strain itself to find reasons to reject Simion. Tuesday evening on Realitatea Plus, he complained that it would be tough to gather signatures in 4 days, of which only three remain for announcing candidacies, and explained that 325 thousand were collected for Mr. Georgescu in a week.
If Mr. Simion comes in 3 days with 200 thousand signatures, without the help of POT who will be busy with Ms. Gavrilă, right?, it means that either they are false, or they had already been collected blankly. Which is not good at all.
From attempting to portray himself as a victim of the system to the accomplished fact, there is a long way to go
George Simion cannot step into Georgescu's shoes; he lacks the charisma and fanaticism of the latter and has softened towards the system. To achieve a significant transfer of votes from Georgescu, he would need to take on the role of prime minister, which, as mentioned, would destroy Simion's external image.
Even so, his chances would be limited. He is primarily competing with Victor Ponta, who has high chances of attracting a significant portion of Georgescu's electorate, especially the massive PSD rural component. There are also voters who will certainly demobilize without the chance to choose the Messiah.
In these days, Mr. Simion is playing for more than just a presidential chance; he is playing for his political future, which is not at all bright.
One question remains: is he so naive and politically amateurish to have believed that Mr. Georgescu would enter the race, or so deceitful that even the farce of the debacle is part of the plan to run with Georgescu's dowry. Time will tell.