Romania reacts to allegations by Russian intelligence service
Romania rejects Russia’s statements that EU leaders are behind decision to bring charges against former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu.
Daniela Budu, 05.03.2025, 13:50
The Romanian authorities have categorically denied statements by Russia’s foreign intelligence service that the European Union blackmailed Romania into blocking the independent candidate Călin Georgescu from entering the presidential elections in May.
Without providing any evidence, the Russian service says the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asked the Romanian authorities to ban Georgescu from running in the upcoming elections, or else restrict the country’s access to European funding. The same allegations were made recently by Georgescu himself in an interview to journalist James Freeman, in which he says a referendum should be held on Romania’s exiting the European Union and NATO.
The Romanian foreign ministry has described the accusations of the Russian intelligence service as “ridiculous and completely ungrounded” and says they are part of a hybrid campaign to undermine democracy and diminish trust in the authorities. “The entirety of these activities, which include public messages and campaigns to influence and interfere with democratic processes, is aimed at reducing trust in the authorities and criticise Romania’s membership of the European Union and NATO”, the Romanian ministry said in a statement.
Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu has described the comments by a Russian secret service on decisions taken by the Romanian state as unacceptable, posting on social media: “Russia cannot tell the Romanian authorities who to investigate and who not to, Russia cannot dictate who the Romanian people should elect and it cannot be a role model when it comes to democracy”.
Elena Lasconi, the president of the centre-right opposition party, the Save Romania Union, said Russia is now “overtly and officially” supporting Călin Georgescu. Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential elections in Romania a few months ago and was to face Elena Lasconi in the decisive round before the entire election process was cancelled.
In the meantime, Georgescu has been placed under investigation for 60 days, facing a number of restrictions, including that of leaving the country without approval from judicial authorities. He is also not allowed to post on social media content of a fascist, anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic nature. Prosecutors accuse Georgescu of masterminding a plan to destabilise Romania with the help of mercenaries led by Horaţiu Potra after the Constitutional Court cancelled the first round of the presidential elections. The Court invoked foreign interference and the elections will be repeated in May. Călin Georgescu is under investigation in two cases, being already indicted in one case for activities against constitutional order, while in another, Horaţiu Potra and his mercenaries have been placed under temporary arrest.
