How not to fight populism: A lesson from Romania

By: Alec Russell / The Financial Times
Translation: Telegrafi.com

Politics is always easy to interpret – after the event has happened. After Romania's anti-communist revolution in 1989, amidst a great flourishing of newspapers, an ultra-nationalist leaflet appeared on the streets. Called Romania Mare (Greater Romania), it soon inspired a political party with the same provocative name and with revanchist views.

Both the leaflet and the party reflected a return to the 30s. Year after year, they remained on the periphery. Meanwhile, Romania was moving forward – albeit erratically – towards normality. In the early 2000s, it joined the European Union and NATO, a triumph after its difficult period under communism.

However, and unfortunately, the spirit of Romania Mare-s, now polished with a Trumpian polish, is the country’s dominant force. George Simion, a politician steeped in the ethos of the far right, is the leading candidate in Sunday’s second round of presidential elections. Whatever the outcome, many EU countries struggling to cope with populism should learn from Romania: it is a case study in how not to react.

If Simioni, a former football hooligan, wins, it will be the biggest shock to Romania since 1989. Investors are terrified – as are NATO and EU officials, who fear Romania could join Hungary as a rebel member. No one should be surprised.

There were certainly willing and known helpers to this populist wave that led to Simeon’s victory with 41 percent of the vote in the first round. It seems clear that Moscow orchestrated a cyber campaign to amplify the right-wing message. Stirring up electoral trouble via bots is a familiar approach for the Kremlin – and an extremely cheap one.

Then there are the old communist networks that are said to have financed Simioni’s Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) and its allies. The former Securitate [Securitate – communist Romania’s secret service] of Bucharest became rich after 1989, in the style of KGB [USSR secret service] robberies. Their heirs and associates are smelling great opportunities for profit in a state run by Simioni.

But, however harmful these influences are, the real culprits for the rise of the right are the previous parties, which alternated in power for 35 years in a comfortable and corrupt manner. A new generation of journalists and prosecutors has brought scandal after scandal to light, especially under the Social Democrats. See collective [The 2019 Romanian documentary Colectiv], nominated for an Oscar, exposes corruption in the healthcare system, and you'll cry.

As is known, the outgoing coalition government is perhaps the cleanest Romania has ever had, but it came too late to assuage popular discontent with status quo(She was also hopeless at communicating her message.)

Romania’s ruling class has failed to share the benefits of globalization while remaining too complacent in the face of the threat from the right. Simion built his profile as an opponent of vaccination during the pandemic, exploiting a distrust of the caretaker state that dates back to the communist era. Since his AUR party entered mainstream politics in 2020, its nationalism has often been underplayed – if not coddled – by the political center.

What a folly this has proven. When the establishment finally understood the scale of the threat, it reacted rudely, annulling the first round of last year’s election – when another ultranationalist, Călin Georgescu, won – citing Russian interference. He was later barred from participating in the repeat vote by the Constitutional Court, on the basis of unclear evidence.

In February, US Vice President JD Vance horrified European centrists when he lambasted the EU for restricting free speech – not to mention Russia’s tyranny. But he was right to suggest that the response to Georgescu was excessive. And, yes – surprise, surprise – the ban appears to have emboldened the right.

For MAGA [Make America Great Again] activists in the US and beyond, a Simion victory would be another welcome nail in the EU coffin – even though in an attempt to woo moderates he says he will stay in NATO and the EU. The Kremlin must be elated to see itself hailed as Romania’s puppet master, given the country’s historical hatred of Russia. As for the remaining journalists Romania Mare, although everything seemed impossible, their moment has now come.

Romania's liberals and ethnic minorities have pinned their faint hopes on Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan, a mathematician with an unspectacular career. Even if he wins, the country faces turmoil, if not outright disorder.

George Iacobescu, who fled Romania under communism and ended up running one of the largest real estate businesses in Europe, Canary Wharf Group, is disappointed with AUR's supporters, especially the large diaspora in the EU who voted for him last time. “They are destroying the country to remove its rotten management,” he says. “It's like burning down an entire forest instead of removing its rotten trees.” Truly, this is a cautionary tale. /Telegraph/