For many Romanians, the name Călin Georgescu didn’t mean much until Sunday evening, when the exit poll results of the presidential elections were announced. Certainly, there are not a few who wondered who Călin Georgescu is and how his rise was possible.
An independent candidate, Călin Georgescu is a former member of AUR, who stood out through his patriotic speeches, sometimes taken to extremes. Also, in every public speech he had, he highlighted the church and family. He has been involved in several controversies, being suspected of being pro-Russian, and in public appearances, he has been a supporter of the Legionnaires.
Controversies
Călin Georgescu may not be a well-known name, but his public appearances so far have placed him in the midst of controversies.
In 2022, he defended war criminals and called Corneliu Zelea Codreanu and the author of the Holocaust in Romania, Ion Antonescu, "heroes". Also, when he talked about the assassination of Nicolae Iorga by the Legionnaires, he said that "history is mystified." Prosecutors opened a criminal case at that time, but it is not clear in what stage the investigation is. Following this scandal, AUR withdrew his nomination for the position of prime minister.
At the same time, when invited to an electoral debate on Digi24, he was asked if he admired Vladimir Putin. Although the moderators insisted on receiving a clear answer with "Yes" or "No," Georgescu refused a clear response and stated that he is asked this question too often.
In a clip posted on YouTube 4 years ago, Georgescu called Vladimir Putin "a leader, among the few leaders."
A former member of AUR and an expert in sustainable development, Călin Georgescu seemed to fly under the radar of sociological institutions, as well as mainstream media and politics. However, in an interview with spotmedia, Austrian historian Oliver Jens Schmitt had already warned about this strange political figure in 2022, supported in neolegionary environments and rumored to be charismatic because he appeals to the nationalist vein.
"Underestimated by the public, but very present in provincial circles, is the self-proclaimed leader of the Ancestral Earth Movement, Călin Georgescu. He stages himself with a clearly neolegionary language; he even imitates Codreanu's slow way of speaking; his movement clearly uses neolegionary symbolism, such as the color green, and stands out through legionary strategies, such as work camps, which are presented in a media-friendly way.
Georgescu's movement is supported by well-known representatives of the nationalist camp, including the Vice President of the Romanian Academy, Victor Voicu. Unlike Simion, Georgescu presents himself as a determined leader "for the nation and country," guided by God. This language corresponds to the Legion's diction, which is even clearer in Georgescu than in AUR," says historian Oliver Jens Schmitt.
Gained votes on TikTok
Călin Georgescu stayed away from the spotlight, and few anticipated the outcome he would achieve in the presidential elections. While other candidates chose traditional means of promotion and flooded Romania with electoral messages, Călin Georgescu focused on TikTok and Facebook.
Especially on TikTok, in the last month, a massive promotion campaign was recorded. Unknown people to the average Romanians, but with hundreds of thousands or even over 1 million followers, started promoting a similar message through which, directly or indirectly, Călin Georgescu was promoted.
Ordinary women accustomed to dancing provocatively in front of the camera and people for whom "tap-tap" were their favorite words filmed and presented Călin Georgescu's profile.
At the same time, in the comments on TikTok, even on clips unrelated to the elections, people were encouraged to vote for Călin Georgescu.
Only on November 21st all online materials for candidate Călin Georgescu were banned. Too late, and the measure gave him the opportunity to play the victim.
Who is Călin Georgescu
Călin Georgescu was born on March 26, 1962, in Bucharest, and is a graduate of the Institute of Agronomy. He worked for 17 years at the UN in the field of environmental conservation. In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2020, he was nominated by the "Romanian Civil Society" Federation (which congratulated Russia for the Annexation of Crimea) for the position of prime minister.
Călin Georgescu graduated from the Faculty of Agronomy and has a Ph.D. in pedology (the study of soils). Before the Revolution, he worked as an agronomist engineer at a company in Făgăraş, Braşov County, according to News.ro.
In 1991, he became the head of the senatorial office for the Environment in Parliament. A year later, he became an advisor to the Minister of the Environment, Marcian Bleahu. At that time, Ion Iliescu was the president, and Theodor Stolojan was the prime minister, in the capacity of a technocrat. The government was dominated by the FSN, but the Ministry of the Environment was assumed by the Ecologist Party.
Between 1993 and 1996, Călin Georgescu led an NGO called the Romanian Ecologist Youth Association (TER), and in the CDR government, he became the general secretary at the Ministry of the Environment.
In the mid-2000s, he led a department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), then held various positions at the UN for several years in the field of environmental conservation. Today, Călin Georgescu presents himself as an expert in sustainable development and is an associate professor at the University of Piteşti.
In the political arena, his name was first mentioned in the public space in the spring of 2012 when he was supposed to become prime minister after the fall of the Boc Government. He was not appointed, according to News.ro.
After the Colectiv tragedy, which led to the fall of the Ponta Government, he was again proposed as prime minister by several public figures with nationalist views, led by actor Dan Puric. He was not appointed.
In December 2020, AUR, a party newly entered in Parliament, also a surprise, officially proposed Călin Georgescu for the head of the Government. He was not appointed.
George Simion, the leader of AUR, offered him the title of honorary president of the party.
Subsequently, Călin Georgescu called the leader of the Legion, Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, and the Nazi marshal Ion Antonescu, guilty of the Holocaust in Romania, "heroes." Prosecutors opened a criminal case, and Georgescu left AUR.
Following a decision by the Central Electoral Bureau, in the last days of the campaign, he was obliged to remove from the online environment all electoral materials that did not contain the identification code received from AEP.