Protests Against Russia-Friendly Candidate in Romanian Presidential Election Widen

Protests against Colin Georgescu, the Russia-friendly candidate in Romania's presidential election, have spread beyond the capital to other cities in the country. On the evening of Tuesday, December 6, in addition to Bucharest, cities such as Timișoara, Iași, Brașov, and Sibiu witnessed protest marches. Colin Georgescu topped the first round of voting held on Sunday, receiving 22.9% of the votes. Elena Lascu, the center-right party candidate, came in second with 19.16%. These two candidates will compete in a head-to-head race for the presidency on December 18 in Romania, a member of the European Union and NATO military alliance. About two thousand people participated for the second consecutive night in a gathering held in University Square in Bucharest. Most participants were young people, and their main concern was about Georgescu's policies and their impact on Romania's future. A student living in Bucharest, who wished to remain anonymous, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: 'I attended this gathering because I believe democracy in our country is weak, and the younger generation can prevent a disaster in the second round of the presidential election.' Another student expressed that the public's reluctance to inform themselves about Georgescu's policies and thoughts before voting had weakened his spirit. He also wished to remain anonymous and added: 'I cannot accept that a fascist governs us and our children.' He emphasized that the people of Romania must take the path of strengthening democracy, and the parliamentary elections on December 10 and the second round of the presidential election provide this opportunity. The high votes for right-wing candidates have pushed Romania's presidential election to a second round. This student added: 'We must remember the era of Nicolae Ceaușescu (the former dictator of Romania) 35 years ago, when previous generations voted for him under the influence of propaganda and censorship. We must be informed about everything before casting our votes. We must vote broadly. We, the youth, are influential and must use our voices of protest.' At a gathering in Timișoara, young people chanted: 'Today Timișoara, tomorrow the whole country.' This chant refers to the December 1989 revolution against Ceaușescu's regime, which began in this city. Young people carried posters stating: 'Death to the Legionnaires.' The prominence of this slogan is a reaction to a television interview where Colin Georgescu expressed sympathy for the Legionnaires, known as the Iron Guard movement, a Christian and fascist group in Romania before World War II. In similar marches held on Tuesday, December 7, in the cities of Iași and Brașov, dozens participated. Participants in these gatherings stated they would not accept 'a dictator or someone who sympathizes with anti-Semites and fascist leaders in Romania's contemporary history' as president. Colin Georgescu, 62, has denied allegations of belonging to the far-right or sympathizing with fascism, describing himself as 'a Romanian who cares for his country.' Polls indicated that before the start of his election campaign on TikTok, one of the main focuses of which was opposition to military aid to Ukraine, Georgescu's support was only a few percent. This independent candidate claims that there is no such thing as 'East or West, and neutrality is absolutely necessary.'