Sunday, December 8, is a very important day for Romania. It is the day when we will decide who will hold the position of president for the next five years.
We have to choose between Elena Lasconi, the USR candidate, and the independent candidate Călin Georgescu.
Prior to Sunday's vote, we are witnessing an unprecedented phenomenon in our history: numerous foreign leaders, international institutions, historians, writers, philosophers, Romanian actors, singers, universities, trade unions, as well as the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have made numerous appeals to Romanians to go out and vote and choose the European path.
It is worth noting that President Klaus Iohannis has agreed to declassify the information presented by SRI, SIE, and MAI in the CSAT meeting. SRI documents show that data has been obtained revealing an aggressive promotional campaign, carried out by circumventing national electoral legislation, as well as the exploitation of algorithms on social media platforms to rapidly increase the popularity of Călin Georgescu. SIE states that Romania is a target for Russian hybrid actions, including cyber attacks, information leaks, and sabotage.
- Iohannis declassifies documents from CSAT. What do we learn from the secret documents about Călin Georgescu
- 5 reports from intelligence services indicate the extent of Russia's involvement in Romania's electoral process and who is behind Călin Georgescu
European Leaders and Foreign Institutions
The Department of State has issued an unprecedented warning ahead of Romania's presidential elections. Washington has warned of "serious negative consequences" of the country moving away from the West, at a time when nationalist candidate Călin Georgescu is in a favorable position after the first round.
"Romania's hard-won progress in anchoring itself in the transatlantic community cannot be called into question by foreign actors trying to divert Romania's foreign policy from its Western alliances," said Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement, referring to Russian interference allegations made by authorities in Bucharest.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Romanian authorities "have revealed a large and well-funded Russian effort to influence the presidential elections, contrary to OSCE standards."
NATO Secretary-General: "I will not comment on national elections, but my experience is that all 32 allies are very engaged in NATO, dedicated to NATO and its success. Yes, of course, there are always debates - this is a democratic alliance. Its strength is that, thanks to democracy, we achieve better results and ultimately better decisions, more prosperity, and better deterrence," said NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed clear support for Elena Lasconi, emphasizing the stake of Sunday's election - the future of Romania.
"If I can do anything to help in this context, I will. You are the only one with a clear position on Europe and NATO, and in fact, you are the only one who can protect your country because all the solidarity you have from everyone is due to this," Macron told Elena Lasconi.
Similarly, President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, announced that she will vote for Elena Lasconi in the second round of the Romanian presidential elections. "Dear Romanians, this weekend we go to vote again. I will vote for Elena Lasconi because she is authentic and I feel she loves Romania. The most dangerous thing for a nation is when it is consumed by fear and enmity. I understand that many of us are filled with worry and are looking for a leader with character to unite us. I believe that Mrs. Lasconi can be that courageous leader with love for Romanians who can unite and keep Romania on the right path," Maia Sandu addressed the Romanian electorate.
President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, embroiled in a confrontation with her own government, stated in an interview with Reuters that Russia is waging a "hybrid war" against Georgia and other countries such as Moldova and Romania, NATO and EU members. She also commented on Călin Georgescu's victory in the Romanian elections.
"Everywhere, Russian proxies make the same pre-election promises," wrote former Georgian President X.
Famous chess player Garry Kasparov also issued a plea to the Romanian people, warning that the Putin regime has carried out cyber attacks and influence operations on Romanian soil.
"I am Garry Kasparov, and this is my appeal to the brave Romanian people: On Sunday, you must reject Călin Georgescu. Now, let me say something obvious - I am not Romanian, I am Russian. As a Russian, I do not want to interfere in Romania's internal affairs. But as a Russian, it is also my responsibility to denounce and reject the criminal behavior of my country," transmitted the famous chess player.
Philosophers and Historians
Writer Gabriel Liiceanu warns that if the horror occurs, if that character with a psychopathic structure comes to power, it's the end of all small nations, we will all be caught in a nightmarish historical vortex.
"Disappointment is no longer a reason to stay home. You have plenty to choose from. The black is so vast and the perspective of white is so promising that there is nothing to deliberate at this moment," says Gabriel Liiceanu.
Similarly, historian Cosmin Popa states that, "if we look at who promotes and projects this avatar, we will see that it is mainly people from the former Securitate, who have around them cohorts of reservists who aggregate in various more or less political organizations, whose goal is practically to maintain the privileged situation that these people have in Romania."
Until ten days ago, the entire world, at least the Western world, believed that Romania was a firm ally of the West, and now the whole world is talking about a destabilized country, about the rise of the extreme right. Romania is a primary target of Russian propaganda and a hybrid attack, states Austrian historian Oliver Jens Schmitt. According to him, Călin Georgescu is not a product of the TikTok system, but a product of much stronger structures.
We are in a danger like never before, warns Corneliu Bjola, Professor of Diplomatic Studies at Oxford. He cautions that for two weeks, we have been in the midst of a hybrid war with Russia. "The country is under siege, and our sovereignty has been severely violated by the fascist regime in the Kremlin, in complicity with a traitor to the country, Călin Georgescu, and his surrounding group, of which only a few have been named so far," Professor Bjola affirms.
Romanian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church
In an unusual stance before the second round of the presidential elections, Romanian Orthodox Church issued a statement reaffirming its strong commitment to Romania's membership in the European Union.
Additionally, the Romanian Patriarchate emphasizes that the document circulating on social networks under its letterhead containing criteria for choosing a "country-loving leader" is fake.