In Romania, during the electoral campaign, Călin Georgescu promoted false information claiming that Elena Lasconi, his opponent, „will support Romania’s involvement in the war in Ukraine against Russia,”according to Mediafax.
The leader of USR reacted in a televised intervention stating that Călin Georgescu’s statement is a lie and manipulation.
"I have never made such a statement. I am a mother and cannot conceive the idea of any child, whether mine or someone else's, going to war. It is completely false," Lasconi declared, according to the cited source.
Romania, as a NATO member state, participates in alliance exercises and has had military personnel present in Iraq and Afghanistan over time.
However, those deployed were professionals, many of whom volunteered from the country. Throughout the years, there have been no reports of military or civilians being forced to go to war zones against their will.
Each year, depending on negotiations with partners from the European Union, NATO, the UN, or other international organizations, the Government proposes to the President that a certain number of military personnel or police officers participate in missions alongside other states in specific hotspots around the globe.
"I think it would be good to have a pro-European national unity government."
Elena Lasconi, candidate for the presidency of Romania
The procedure for determining the number of Romanian military personnel sent annually on foreign missions involves several key stages and institutions and is carried out in accordance with the law:
- The proposal of the Ministry of National Defense (MoND): By June 30 of each year, the MoND develops a proposal regarding the armed forces that can be made available in the following year for participation in missions and operations outside the national territory. This proposal also includes the estimation of associated costs.
- Analysis and approval by the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT): The MoND's proposal is analyzed by CSAT, which decides on the forces that can be allocated for foreign missions.
- Allocation of funds by the Government: Based on the CSAT decision, the Government includes in the budget project for the following year the necessary funds for the preparation and participation of the armed forces in external missions and operations.
- Final approval by the President of Romania: The actual deployment of armed forces on foreign missions is done at the proposal of the Prime Minister and with the approval of the President of Romania, after consulting CSAT. The President informs the Parliament within 5 days about the decision taken.
Therefore, all three fundamental institutions are involved in making such a decision: the President, the Government, and the Parliament. There is no situation where a single individual, agency, or ministry can unilaterally make such a decision.
Romanian soldiers abroad
In 2024, CSAT decided that a total of 5,646 military personnel and civilians will be authorized to carry out peace missions abroad.
Out of the total, 2,526 will effectively participate in missions, while the remaining 3,120 will remain in the country as reserves. Most of them, over 1,000, are involved in the peace mission carried out by the European Union states in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a UN mandate.
No Romanian military personnel are currently on a mission in Ukraine.
The false information spread by Călin Georgescu, through the Chinese social network TikTok, aims to increase fear among a segment of the public regarding the possibility of Romanian soldiers being sent to Ukraine, to the front lines.
Why stay in NATO if it does not offer security to your country?
Călin Georgescu, candidate for the presidency of Romania
Russian propaganda, through the dissemination of such messages, aims to discourage the assistance provided by NATO countries to Ukraine, assistance in military equipment and funds, in order to eventually conquer the neighboring country.
Such a situation would pose a significant destabilization risk for Romania, a process that began with the shocking campaign on TikTok, attributed by CSAT to a foreign actor.
Furthermore, although the President of Romania is also the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, they cannot declare a state of war without a vote in the Legislative.
According to the Constitution of Romania, the state of war is approved by the Parliament of Romania with the vote of the majority of deputies and senators. The decision is binding.
Călin Georgescu advocates for mandatory military service
It is quite evident that in a democratic state, unlike Russia, the decision to enlist, send military personnel beyond borders, and engage in war requires broad support, not being the prerogative of a single individual or institution.
In addition, Călin Georgescu, a candidate who openly admires Vladimir Putin, is the one who announced his intention to reintroduce mandatory military service in Romania.
"Personally, I am not for military service, but for compulsory military service paid to learn a trade," declared Georgescu on public television.
The new parliamentary configuration, where far-right parties will occupy around 35% of seats, will decide in the coming days how political formations will support the candidates who reach the presidential final - Elena Lasconi and Călin Georgescu.
Romania's political orientation will largely depend on who takes office at the Cotroceni Palace, as the head of state has constitutional prerogatives to determine Romania's foreign policy.
Next Sunday, voters will go to the polls to answer a simple question: Will Romania remain anchored in the West or will it once again head East, falling under the influence of the Kremlin, a dictatorial regime fighting hard to survive?