AUR leader George Simion explained the controversial gesture in which he is seen cutting a cake in the shape of Greenland, „wrapped” in the US flag. Simion claims it was a moment organized by Republicans at a reception in Washington that could not be avoided.
The episode sparked harsh reactions online, being interpreted as a symbolic denial of the sovereignty of a European territory, contradicting the sovereigntist discourse that Simion claims.
The scene took place during a visit by an AUR delegation to the United States, in a political context dominated by debates regarding Donald Trump's intention to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty.
"This is the atmosphere at a reception in Washington"
In a post on his website, George Simion states that the moment was organized by Republican congressmen and that the AUR delegation could not avoid such episodes "out of fear of supposed controversies."
"We could not avoid certain moments: this is the atmosphere at a reception in Washington DC these days," wrote the AUR leader, accusing the "systemic press" of trying to turn "a festive moment into a foreign policy issue."
According to his explanation, the event was organized to mark one year since the American president took office, and the gesture was not meant to have geopolitical significance.
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A Gesture Contradicting AUR's Sovereignism
George Simion has built his political career on the idea of sovereignism - rejecting any external interference in a state's internal affairs. In this context, his participation in a symbolic moment suggesting the annexation of Greenland by the US was perceived by critics as a blatant contradiction.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a member state of the European Union, and any annexation attempt would go against the principles constantly invoked by AUR's leader in domestic politics.
The video in which Simion is seen cutting the cake was initially posted on platform X by an account presenting itself as a journalist, and later shared by the American conservative organization Republicans for National Renewal, affiliated with Republican media and promoting the "America First" agenda.
Images from the event were also shared by members of the US Congress, including Anna Paulina Luna and Michael Casey.
Critical Reactions, Including from Within AUR
The gesture was heavily criticized on social media, including by AUR supporters. Additionally, Marius Lulea, co-founder of the party, publicly reacted negatively to Simion's participation in the cake episode. He posted on his Facebook page the message: "Greenland is Denmark, Denmark is Europe, Europe is Romania."
In concluding his position expressed in a press release, George Simion insists that the relationship with the US is "vital for Romania" and that the strategic partnership must be strengthened, "not sabotaged by manipulations and cheap ironies."
Șoșoacă: A Grotesque and Dangerous Show
George Simion's gesture was publicly condemned by the S.O.S. Romania Party. In a statement, the party led by Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă described the Greenland cake scene as "shameful and irresponsible," stating that it is not a joke or political folklore, but "a serious manifestation of geopolitical recklessness" and an act of contempt for states' sovereignty and international law.
According to the statement, the AUR leader "has nothing to do with sovereignism anymore," and his participation in such a moment would amount to symbolically legitimizing foreign territorial ambitions.
S.O.S. Romania accuses that such gestures compromise Romania's image abroad and can be interpreted as "political servility," calling for public distancing from such behaviors and reaffirming that "Romania is not to be sliced on cakes."
The US Award George Simion Boasted About
During his visit to the United States, George Simion announced on Wednesday that he received an award from the controversial American conservative organization Republicans for National Renewal for "his activity in defending freedom of expression and democracy in Europe," at a ceremony held at a private venue in Washington DC.
The distinction, presented by AUR as a recognition of his role and that of the political family he belongs to in "fighting censorship and anti-democratic drifts," was dedicated, in Simion's speech, "to Romanians who stood up in defense of the right to live in a democracy."
The organization that awarded the prize is an unofficial conservative group close to the Trumpist environment and is not part of the official structures of the Republican Party or US federal institutions, and its distinctions have symbolic value within partisan events.