Romanian authorities are under strong pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump to ensure the unhindered continuation of Călin Georgescu’s electoral campaign for the presidential elections in May, writes the publication Blomberg on Tuesday, which describes Georgescu as a far-right candidate.
In private meetings with Romanian counterparts in recent days, American officials have focused almost exclusively on the vote, warning them not to block Călin Georgescu’s campaign, a Trump supporter who has denounced NATO and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to individuals familiar with the discussions who wished to remain anonymous, as specified by Blomberg.
The Trump team's insistence on the political crisis in Romania was revealed by US Vice President JD Vance, who used a significant speech delivered last week in Munich to challenge Romania's decision in December to cancel the presidential election, after security officials determined that Russia's intervention had contributed to propelling Georgescu to a stunning victory in the first round on November 24, the publication adds.
- US Vice President JD Vance criticizes the cancellation of elections in Romania based on "flimsy suspicions" and "enormous pressure"
- Reactions to JD Vance's speech: The opposition demands explanations and the resumption of the second round elections. Generalities from Bolojan and Ciolacu
- FT writes that JD Vance's harsh statements towards Romania encourage the pro-Putin candidate
- President of the Constitutional Court says that JD Vance's statements were distorted: Sometimes we are quick to incriminate and punish
Officials in Bucharest were caught off guard by Vance's tirade on Friday at the Munich Security Conference, in which he condemned European leaders for marginalizing right-wing groups, and were puzzled by the US's insistence on Georgescu, one official said.
The unexpected victory of Georgescu and the court's decision to annul the elections have become a rallying point for the far-right in Europe, notes the publication. While Romanian authorities prepare for the repeat elections in May, the American Vice President has invoked this decision as an example of mainstream power suppressing the political rise of populist groups.
Bloomberg also writes that exchanges took place between Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu and Keith Kellogg and Richard Grenell, Trump's envoys at the Munich conference. Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan met Vance at an artificial intelligence summit in Paris earlier this month.
Despite these meetings and other points of contact, the government in Bucharest has strived to open a sustained channel of communication with the Trump administration, through which they could address concerns about the vote, the source said. The White House referred Bloomberg's request for comments to the US State Department, which declined to comment officially.
Georgescu remains favorite
Georgescu, a 62-year-old former agronomist, was polling below 10% when a social media campaign featuring high-quality TikTok videos helped him secure a shocking victory in the first round of voting in November, as Bloomberg recalls. However, the result was annulled by a court decision citing findings that the digital campaign in question benefited from external support.
Georgescu remains a favorite ahead of the rescheduled election in May - and has been boosted by his strong criticisms of the annulment as a 'coup' supported by Brussels. As speculation grows about the possibility of Georgescu being barred from running, polls show that a significant number of Romanians view the court's decision negatively, Bloomberg further reports.
Vance, whose speech in Munich barely mentioned European security or the war in Ukraine, said the court's decision was based on 'thin' information - and attacked the stability of Romania's democratic institutions.
”If your democracy can be destroyed with a few thousand dollars in the form of ads from a foreign country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with,” the US Vice President said on Friday.
Like their EU counterparts, government officials in Bucharest fear that aggressive maneuvers from Washington and direct interference in the electoral process could lead to a breakdown in relations with a crucial ally, one official said. Romania hosts thousands of troops at a NATO base positioned to protect Eastern Europe's eastern flank.
Elon Musk, Trump's billionaire ally, has also supported candidate Călin Georgescu, as Bloomberg reminds. He posted on his X platform on Tuesday citing a promise from Georgescu that he will ban organizations linked to philanthropist George Soros if he becomes president.