As Romania heads to Sunday vote, thousands protest against Russian 'interference'

Ahead of a critical election in Romania, thousands of people took to the streets of central Bucharest to show their support for European values. The pro-European demonstrations engulfed the country on Thursday, ahead of the second round of voting. Earlier this month, Călin Georgescu, a NATO and EU-skeptic who has been sympathetic to Russia, shocked the pro-EU establishment after he emerged as the lead in the Romanian presidential race.

What makes the results of the first round of voting interesting is the fact that Georgescu was not affiliated with any party and didn’t take part in any big television debates. He was almost unknown to voters before he somehow managed to surge into first place in the first round of the polls.

The West will be keeping a close eye on the Romanian presidential elections as well. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined Romanian intelligence services and claimed that a foreign influence operation, likely from Russia, is boosting Georgescu’s campaign. The independent Romanian politician is slated to go head to head against face centre-right, pro-EU candidate Elena Lasconi in the run-off, scheduled for Sunday.

Crowds gather in freezing conditions and ‘chant freedom’

The election is crucial for Romania since the Eastern European nation comprises 19 million, and borders Ukraine as the EU’s eastern edge. Amid the war in Ukraine, several pro-EU demonstrators are concerned about Russia’s growing aggression in the region. A crowd of thousands gathered in freezing temperatures on central Bucharest’s University Square on Thursday night, Politico reported.

The demonstrators kept chanting “freedom,” waving the EU and the Romanian flag. The demonstrations were also joined by prominent speakers, musicians and other celebrities, who shared their outlook towards the presidential race.

“We are choosing between East and West — until now we have had safety,” Aurelia Poderescu, 54, who attended the event told Politico. “For us, NATO and the EU means safety for our children and grandchildren," she added.

What do the polls say?

According to the latest polling from Atlas Intel, Georgescu has taken a 4-point lead over Lasconi with 47 per cent to 43 per cent in the independent candidate’s favour. However, Georgescu’s dramatic transformation has shocked Romania’s Western allies, with many claiming that Russian bots may be responsible for amplifying his support.

While speaking on election monitoring at a summit in Malta, Blinken shared the same concerns. “Romanian authorities are uncovering a Russian effort — large in scale and well-funded — to influence the recent presidential election,” he said. During his presidential campaign, Georgescu slammed Romania’s ongoing support for Ukraine and expressed scepticism about NATO operations on Romanian soil.

He eventually vowed to dismantle Romania’s political party system, which led some to speculate that he wants to establish a dictatorship.

With inputs from agencies.