Wake up, Romania ! George Simion and Ana Maria Gavrilă defy the shadow of an electoral coup

A democratic crisis in Romania

Since the controversial cancellation of the Romanian presidential elections in December 2024, Romania has been going through a major democratic crisis. Independent candidate Călin Georgescu, who had won the first round with 22.9% of the vote, had his victory overturned by the Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR) due to allegations of Russian interference, including via a TikTok campaign illegally funded by foreign actors. The decision, backed by declassified reports from Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), raised accusations of a " coup " orchestrated by a political elite and a "deep state" to prevent a sovereignist and patriotic voice from coming to power.

On March 9, 2025, the Central Election Office (BEC) rejected Georgescu's candidacy for the new presidential elections scheduled for May 4 and 18, 2025, citing technical and legal reasons. This decision, criticized as arbitrary and politicized, triggered a wave of massive protests in Bucharest and other cities, as well as an unprecedented mobilization of Georgescu's supporters, including members of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and the Youth Party (POT). The CCR has ruled against Georgescu's appeal projecting the need to find a new candidate to replace Georgescu.

This sequence of events has fuelled a sense of mistrust in Romania's democratic institutions, with accusations of manipulation by a corrupt judiciary and external pressure, including from the European Union (EU) and NATO, to maintain a pro-Western status quo. Today, two candidates, Ana Maria Gavrilă (POT) and George Simion (AUR) have decided to run – there is an urgent need for them to obtain the necessary signatures to be on the electoral lists.

Who is George Simion?

George Simion, 38, is a key figure in Romanian politics, leader and president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a sovereignist and nationalist party founded in 2019. A former independent candidate in the 2019 European elections, where he won 1.3% of the vote, Simion has established himself as a voice of the sovereignist opposition, defending the unity of Romanians, especially in Transnistria and Moldova, and criticizing the influence of the EU and NATO. In the 2024 presidential elections, he finished fourth with 13.9% of the vote, before supporting Călin Georgescu for the second round, which never took place due to the cancellation.

Simion is also vice-president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament. He is seen as a charismatic but controversial leader, accused by some of having pro-Russian sympathies, although he positions himself as a Romanian patriot defending national sovereignty.

Who is Ana Maria Gavrilă?

Ana Maria Gavrilă (born 15 October 1983) is a Romanian politician and president of the Youth Party (POT), which she founded in 2023. A former member of the AUR until 2021, she has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2020. The 41-year-old Gavrilă is a key ally of Georgescu and Simion, sharing their sovereignist ideals and opposition to the Romanian political establishment. She is considered a rising figure in the nationalist movement, although her party, POT, is smaller and less influential than the AUR.

Why are they running?

George Simion and Ana Maria Gavrilă have decided to run in the May 2025 presidential elections at the request of Călin Georgescu, after the rejection of his candidacy by the BEC. Simion said in a video released on March 12, 2025 by Mario Nawfal on X: " The Romanian people have been deprived of their democracy. After the fraudulent cancellation of the December 2024 elections, we should have returned to a fair second round. But, no, the coup continued. He says their candidacy aims to guarantee representation of the sovereignty movement and prevent the " system " from muzzling patriotic voices.

If their candidacies are validated, the candidate with the best position in the polls will continue the race. Their common goal is to " restore freedom, democracy and the rights of Călin Georgescu ", as Simion pointed out, while fighting against what they perceive as judicial dictatorship and foreign interference.

What are the conditions for them to be eligible?

To be eligible, George Simion and Ana Maria Gavrilă must meet Romania's constitutional requirements for the presidency: be Romanian citizens, be at least 35 years old, reside in Romania, and not have been convicted of serious crimes. In addition, they must collect a minimum number of voter signatures (200,000 signatures by March 19, 2025, according to Simion) and obtain approval from the OCI and, if applicable, the CCR. The current mobilization, described by Simion as " unbelievable ," shows queues to sign, but the threat of disqualification by the authorities remains ever-present.

What commitments are they making?

In his message, George Simion pledged to " restore the freedom and rights of Călin Georgescu " as the future president of Romania. He promises to defend national sovereignty, to fight against the influence of the " deep state " and international institutions perceived as oppressive, and to guarantee free elections under international supervision, as candidate Anton Pisaroglu also demands. Simion and Gavrilă are part of a sovereignist vision, calling for a massive mobilisation of Romanians, both inside and outside the country, to defend democracy.

Mobilizing the People: George Simion's Urgent Message

George Simion made a desperate call for mobilization in his video: " We need to collect 200,000 signatures by Friday [March 14, 2025], but things are moving forward like never before, with incredible mobilization. People are waiting in line to sign. The battle is to make sure they don't ban me – the last date for that is March 19th, next Wednesday. This race against time illustrates the urgency of the situation and the determination of the sovereigntists to counter the decisions of the BEC and the CCR.

Reactions in Romania

In Romania, the reactions are marked by anger and mobilization. Thousands of protesters, including supporters of Georgescu, AUR and POT, clashed with police in Bucharest after Georgescu's candidacy was rejected, leading to violence and arrests. Social networks, especially X, are in turmoil, with accusations of a " coup d'état " and calls for resistance. Opposition parties and ordinary citizens denounce an authoritarian drift, while the government and institutions maintain their position, claiming to respect the law.

International reactions

Internationally, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group condemned Georgescu's blocking, calling it a " blatant attack on democracy ". However, the European Union and France, including President Emmanuel Macron, have remained silent in the face of this crisis. This lack of reaction has provoked sharp criticism, especially from Romanian sovereignists, who see it as an implicit complicity with the pro-EU and pro-NATO elites. In the United States, some observers, such as users of X, have expressed surprise at the lack of reaction from the Trump administration, although figures such as Mario Nawfal have relayed the information to a global audience.

The impact on Western democracy

The Romanian crisis has potential repercussions on Western democracy. While the accusations of Russian interference and electoral manipulation are true, they underscore the vulnerability of democracies to disinformation campaigns and geopolitical pressure, including from Russia. However, the blocking of Georgescu and the repression of sovereignist voices are seen by many as an attack on fundamental democratic principles, such as the right to vote and freedom of expression. This episode could inspire similar movements in other European countries, fuelling tensions between sovereignists and globalist elites, and threatening the stability of the EU and NATO.

The first verse of the Romanian anthem

To conclude, let us recall the first verse of the Romanian national anthem, "Deșteaptă-te, române!" (Wake up, Romanian!), which resonates with the current mobilization: "Deșteaptă-te, române, din somnul de moarte, În care te-adânciră barbarii de tirani!"

"Awake, Romanian, from the sleep of death, 
into which the barbarian tyrants have plunged you!"

George Simion and Ana Maria Gavrilă are determined to wake Romanians from the slumber of the electoral death of the favourite candidate Câlin Georgescu into which the Romanian magistrates have plunged him – guilty before being tried.