#Romanian voters

[latestnews-now]

Romania is witnessing a political earthquake as far-right populist Calin Georgescu faces reformist Elena Lasconi in the December 8 presidential runoff. Georgescu’s surprising rise disrupted predictions, while Lasconi aims to become Romania’s first female president. Learn about the candidates, their agendas, and what this means for the country’s future. Stay updated on Romania's evolving political landscape—don’t miss this deep dive into history in the making!

[foxstens]

i'm so fucking stressed idk how i'm gonna survive the next 2 weeks

[tmarshconnors]

Romanian Presidential Election So Predictable

The headlines are ablaze: "Far-Right Candidate Takes Shock Lead in Romania's Presidential Election!" Pundits gasp, commentators wring their hands, and politicians scramble to understand how this "could have happened." Yet, for those of us paying attention, this isn't shocking at all. This is what happens when the political elite force so-called "progressive" policies onto populations without ever asking if the people actually want them. 

The Romanian Context 

Romania, like many nations in Central and Eastern Europe, has been at odds with the relentless push from the EU and global institutions to adopt social policies that often feel disconnected from the cultural and historical fabric of these nations. This includes everything from controversial stances on gender ideology to immigration policies that many Romanians perceive as threats to their national identity. 

It’s not that Romania—or any other nation—wants to exist in a bubble of isolation. It's that they want change to reflect their values, not to be dictated from outside or imposed top-down by self-appointed technocrats. 

The Rise of the Far-Right: A Reaction, Not an Anomaly 

When people feel ignored, they react. The far-right’s surge isn’t a cause; it’s a symptom. Across Europe, we see this pattern over and over again. Hungary, Poland, and Italy have all experienced pushes towards nationalism and conservatism in response to heavy-handed progressive policies. Romania’s current "shock" should have been anticipated.

For years, the mainstream political establishment has ignored concerns about national sovereignty, family values, and traditional culture in favor of advancing their vision of what Romania should be, rather than listening to what Romanians want it to be. Whether it’s the EU’s rigid stance on “wokeness” or an elite class dismissing legitimate concerns as “backwards,” the end result is the same: voters turning to the only candidates who promise to defend their way of life.

The Lesson for Western Elites 

The Romanian election is a cautionary tale for Western elites who stubbornly refuse to heed the warning signs. This is what happens when globalism is forced on proud, independent nations. It’s not the people who are being unreasonable; it’s the political class that fails to understand that identity, culture, and tradition matter. 

What’s ironic is the disdain these leaders show when faced with such electoral results. Instead of asking why people vote for these candidates, they double down, demonizing anyone who resists their agenda as uneducated or intolerant. This strategy is not only ineffective—it’s dangerous. 

The Path Forward: Respect vs. Imposition 

The rise of far-right candidates like this one in Romania will not be a one-off event. It’s part of a broader wave of resistance sweeping across nations that feel patronized and disregarded. If the EU and other global institutions truly want to foster unity, they need to adopt a policy of respect rather than imposition. Sovereignty should not be treated as a dirty word, and values deeply held by millions should not be dismissed as relics of the past.

In the end, the people have the final say. Romania’s election is a wake-up call. Let’s hope the political elites start listening before they lose the trust of even more of their citizens.

[vyllea]

Romanian presidential elections are happening right now and our only big liberal candidate was in 2nd place, only 3 thousand votes above our classic conservative. In first place by a large margin we have a man who was so outspokenly far-right that he was kicked out of the far-right party.

If during the American elections Google searches spiked looking up what a tariff is, Romanians started looking up the meaning of "antisemitism", "russophile", "freemasonry", and several nationalist terms. He has been endorsed by Kremlin officials.

Not only are we about to have a Trump-Harris situation during our second vote, but the odds are severely against us. I trust that this country would go for the lesser evil between two conservatives but I'm afraid to trust them to vote between a fascist and a woman. The misogyny and homophobia I'm seeing is insane.

It took all the involved liberal voters to get her here and it will take a lot more than that to get her to win the election so I hope all young voters will urge their dads and their grandmas and their "centrist/moderate/apolitical" friends to vote for her.

[mariacallous]

Defying all predictions, populist Russia-friendly politician Calin Georgescu won the first round of Romania’s presidential elections on Sunday – signalling that the EU member state has joined the growing trend towards the far-right in the region.

Georgescu, 62, who has no party of his own, got around 23 per cent of the votes, with more than 99 per cent of ballots counted.

At midnight on Sunday, Georgescu hailed the first-round vote as a victory for the “Romanian people”.

In another big surprise, centre-right Elena Lasconi, the leader of the reformist Union for Saving Romania, came second, just a few hundred votes ahead of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who leads the Social Democratic Party.

George Simion, leader of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians, came fourth.

Experts’ pre-poll predictions had put Ciolacu and Simion as the favourites.

“This vote is the biggest surprise in all the elections held so far in Romania,” said journalist Dan Tapalaga.

The second-round run-off will be held on December 8, but before that, Romania has parliamentary elections on December 1, with its political scene thrown into in turmoil by Georgescu’s unexpected success.

Under the Romanian constitution, the president wields considerable power – including oversight of foreign and defence policy and responsibility for appointing the prime minister.

��TikTok candidate’

Georgescu, a religious nationalist, conducted a low-profile campaign, focusing primarily on social media platform TikTok and making in-person appearances only in selected rural areas. He received no coverage in the mainstream media.

In his campaign messages, he advocated reducing imports, strongly supporting farmers, and boosting food and energy production. He also criticised the EU, claiming it does not adequately represent Romania’s interests.

Georgescu questioned military aid to neighbouring Ukraine and called for an end to the war. In a 2020 interview, he described Vladimir Putin as one of the world’s few genuine leaders, stating that the Russian president loves his country, regardless of the methods he employs.

Speaking late Sunday in front of his home near Bucharest, as he did not even have a campaign headquarters, Georgescu congratulated the Romanian voters for backing him.

“By rekindling the flame of hope, the Romanian people have chosen to no longer kneel, to no longer be invaded, to no longer be humiliated,” he declared.

“Tonight the Romanian people shouted ‘peace’ and they were very loud ,” he added.

Experts struggled to explain the election’s outcome.

“The result of the vote was made possible because there is a significant demand in Romanian society for a politician like Georgescu. Why? I could give a more precise answer if there were high-quality sociological data on what Romanians want. Unfortunately, we lack such data,” said political analyst Claudiu Tufis.

Journalist Tapalaga said he believes that Georgescu’s success, after largely conducting his campaign via social media, also marks a shift in the way political communication is conducted in Romania.

Tapalaga said it was “the first election where social media has been more influential than television. We have seen how TikTok can defeat mainstream media,” he added.

The Romanian diaspora played a crucial role in the first round of the presidential elections. Over 800,000 Romanians living abroad cast their votes – a record turnout.

[sgiandubh]

apologies, i realise now it was a post from samheughanswife and you only reblogged it. my bad. i was just excited to share the sweaty lookalike lol. hope the exit polls go your way. and also that the food you cook as a coping mechanism is extremely tasty.

Dear Extremely Tasty Anon,

I will post my Cowboy Pie recipe if I survive the 9 pm exit polls. Chopping onions will help with stress management, nay contest. ;)

It's so damn tight, at the moment, even if they clumsily try to stick to the law and not reveal too much of it - and yet any Romanian voter will tell you it is absolutely, mind-blowingly unprecedented. Let's say we are in a too close to call sitch, with 4 very different people fighting to get into the final round and many, many mini-Vietnams (to quote Che Guevara) in the making, aka fraud rigmarole and all the bullshit that goes with it #HungerGames.

I suppose we are in a totally Byzantine state of mind. You'd have to be here and live it, to get what I mean.

Thanks for the love.

[forgwater]

for the romanian elections

let’s see if I can explain this properly

so basically the majority of my fellow romanians that voted (about 52% of voters) in the first tour/round/whatever hate the idea of human rights so much they voted on 1st place the misogynist, anti lgbtq+, russian connections guy who had a shitton of bot propaganda on tiktok

forgot to mention: apparently he got kicked out of the extremist party for being too extremist

like how the hell

we’ve still got the parliament elections

and 2nd tour/round/whatever elections to determine who the president will be. but things are looking really bleak

[beardedmrbean]

Nov. 29 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1877, Thomas Edison demonstrated a hand-cranked phonograph that recorded sound on grooved metal cylinders. Edison shouted verses of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" into the machine, which played back his voice.

In 1890, the first Army-Navy football game was played. Navy won 24-0.

In 1929, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard Byrd and three crewmen became the first people to fly over the South Pole.

In 1935, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Erwin Schrödinger published his famous thought experiment dubbed "Schrödinger's cat," to illustrate a paradox of quantum mechanics.

In 1947, despite strong Arab opposition, the United Nations voted for the partition of Palestine and the creation of the independent Jewish state of Israel.

In 1963, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson appointed the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of President John Kennedy.

In 1981, actor Natalie Wood drowned while on a boat trip to Santa Catalina Island, Calif.

In 1986, movie icon Cary Grant died of a stroke at the age of 82.

In 1989, Romanian Olympic gymnastic hero Nadia Comaneci fled to Hungary. She eventually reached the United States.

In 1990, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution authorizing "all necessary means," including military force, against Iraq if it didn't withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991.

In 1991, a dust storm in Coalinga, Calif., triggered a massive pileup by more than 250 vehicles on Interstate 5, killing 15 people and injuring more than 100.

In 1994, voters in Norway rejected a proposal to join the European Union.

In 2001, George Harrison, lead guitarist of the Beatles, died of cancer. He was 58.

In 2011, Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced to four years in prison for an involuntary manslaughter conviction in the death of Michael Jackson. He was released on parole Oct. 28, 2013.

In 2012, the United Nations voted 138-9, with 31 abstentions, to give Palestinians non-member observer status.

In 2021, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey announced his resignation as CEO of the social media platform He was replaced by Parag Agrawal, who was ousted in October 2022 upon Elon Musk's purchase of the company.

In 2022, 46% of people in England and Wales described themselves as Christian in a census survey, the first time that figure represented less than half the populations of the two countries.

[queer-geordie-nerd]

Eww, so nice to see how anti Eastern European xenophobia is still alive and well in my family, apparently 😬

My dad lives in a small town just over the border in Scotland, and up until the last few years, has been pretty much entirely homogenously white British. It has started to diversify a lot in the last few years, with immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe, and some from the Far East, opening up businesses there, which has only been a good thing for the town’s economy, and honestly, for the town’s residents to see that a world exists outside their little bubble.

The windows of a restaurant being refurbished were smashed last week, and my dad on the phone this morning, was utterly obsessed with the apparent perpetrator being an unemployed Romanian man. How he knows this for certain is anyone’s guess, because there have been no arrests made. I should mention that my dad is a registered Tory voter, and gets almost all of his news exclusively from The Daily Mail, so I shouldn’t be entirely surprised that he has decided that this person’s alleged criminality is clearly linked to his nationality. Because naturally, there has never been any crime committed there ever until the immigrants showed up *sarcasm* 🙄

It’s just another incidence that shows me my world view and that of my dad will always be utterly opposed to each other.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

In battleground Arizona, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. draws Biden and Trump voters (AP) Some voted for Donald Trump, others for Joe Biden. A few had never wanted anything to do with politics before they heard Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on a podcast or YouTube video. Lined up outside a Phoenix wedding hall tucked between a freeway, a railroad track and a U-Haul rental center, the hundreds of people who turned out Wednesday to hear Kennedy speak shared little in common ideologically. What united them was a deep-seated distrust of the media, of corporations and especially of the government and a belief that Kennedy is the only person in politics willing to tell them the truth. Voters are not enthusiastic about a Biden-Trump rematch, and alternatives like Kennedy or the No Labels third-party movement, which would typically be longshots, see an opening. Kennedy’s appearance in a 2024 battleground state highlights how he could influence the election in ways that are tough to predict. Allies of both Trump and Biden have expressed concerns that Kennedy’s independent bid could pull votes from their candidate in next year’s expected general election rematch.

Migrant caravan in southern Mexico marks Christmas Day by trudging onward (AP) Christmas Day meant the same as any other day for thousands of migrants walking through southern Mexico: more trudging under a hot sun. There were no presents, and Christmas Eve dinner was a sandwich, a bottle of water and a banana handed out by the Catholic church to some of the migrants in the town of Álvaro Obregón, in the southern state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala. Migrants spent Christmas night sleeping on a scrap of cardboard or plastic stretched out under an awning or tent, or the bare ground. At around 6,000 people, the migrant caravan that set out Sunday was the largest one since June 2022, when a similarly sized group departed Tapachula.

Police in Peru dress up as Santa for festive drugs bust (The Independent) Police in Peru have been spotted carrying out a drugs raid while dressed as Santa Claus. The undercover agents caught two men allegedly selling cocaine and cannabis in a house in Huaral, just north of Lima. ‘Santa’ could be seen using a sledgehammer to break down the door of the house, before removing his beard to cuff one of the suspects.

Plane passengers held pending human trafficking inquiry leave France for India (Reuters) A plane carrying 276 Indian passengers took off on Monday for Mumbai, the French interior ministry’s local office said, after it was grounded for four days pending investigation into possible human trafficking. The flight, carried out by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had departed from Dubai and landed at the small Vatry airport on Thursday for a technical stopover when police intervened. Bound for Nicaragua, the flight arrived in France with 303 Indian passengers onboard. After being interrogated by police, two people investigated for human trafficking have been placed under “assisted witness” status while the investigation continues, according to the prosecutor’s office. Another 25 people, including five minors, have stayed in France where they wish to seek asylum, authorities said.

Russian naval ship in Crimea damaged in airstrike by Ukrainian forces, Russian Defense Ministry says (AP) A Russian naval ship in Crimea was damaged in an airstrike by Ukrainian forces, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The landing ship Novocherkassk was hit at a base in the city of Feodosia by plane-launched guided missiles, the ministry said, adding that two Ukrainian fighter jets were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire during the attack. Over the past several months, Ukrainian forces have conducted attacks around Crimea, mostly with sea drones.

China expects searing heat, more weather extremes in 2024 (Reuters) China grappling with one of its coldest Decembers on record will likely have to brace for another round of scorching heat and an increase in extreme weather next year due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, a senior climate expert said. This year has seen China lurch from some of its hottest temperatures logged since 1850 to a harsh cold snap that froze many parts of the country for close to a fortnight earlier this month. This past summer saw Beijing bake in record heat while a remote township in the country’s arid northwest logged a day of 52 degrees Celsius (126 Fahrenheit) the hottest on record for China. Typhoons also brought record-breaking rainfall in China’s north, causing widespread flooding.

Israel’s Economy Expected to Shrink 2% as War Sidelines Workers (NYT) The Israeli economy is expected to shrink by 2 percent this quarter, according to a leading research center, with hundreds of thousands of workers displaced by the war with Hamas or called up as reservists. About 20 percent of the Israeli work force was missing from the labor market in October, up from 3 percent before the fighting began, according to a report from the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, a nonpartisan think tank in Israel. The spike in unemployment reflects the fact that about 900,000 people were called up to fight, stayed home to take care of children because schools had closed, evacuated from towns near the borders with Lebanon and Gaza or couldn’t work because of physical damage to their industries.

Lose a limb or risk death? Gaza’s wounded face hard choices (AP) The doctors gave Shaimaa Nabahin an impossible choice: lose your left leg or risk death. The 22-year-old had been hospitalized in Gaza for around a week, after her ankle was partially severed in an Israeli airstrike, when doctors told her she was suffering from blood poisoning. Nabahin chose to maximize her chances of survival, and agreed to have her leg amputated 15 centimeters (6 inches) below the knee. The decision upended life for the ambitious university student, as it has for untold others among the more than 54,500 war-wounded who faced similar gut-wrenching choices. Experts believe that in some cases, limbs could have been saved with proper treatment. But after weeks of Israel’s blistering air and ground offensive, only nine out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are still operational. They are greatly overcrowded, offer limited treatment and lack basic equipment to perform surgeries. Many wounded are unable to reach the remaining hospitals, pinned down by Israeli bombardment and ground combat.

Saudis Keep Low Profile in Red Sea Conflict (NYT) After rebels took over the capital of Yemen in 2014, a 30-year-old Saudi prince named Mohammed bin Salman spearheaded a military intervention to rout them. With American assistance and weapons, Saudi pilots embarked on a bombing campaign called Operation Decisive Storm inside Yemen, the mountainous nation on their southern border. Officials expected to swiftly defeat the rebels, a ragtag tribal militia known as the Houthis. Instead, the prince’s forces spent years mired in a conflict that splintered into fighting between multiple armed groups, drained billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia’s coffers and helped plunge Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Hundreds of thousands of people died from violence, hunger and unchecked disease. Saudi Arabia and its main partner, the United Arab Emirates, eventually scaled back their military involvement, and Saudi officials entered peace talks with the Houthis, who secured control of northern Yemen. Now, the war in Gaza has thrust the Houthis whose ideology is driven by hostility toward the United States and Israel and support for the Palestinian cause into an unlikely global spotlight. Saudi Arabia, however, would rather watch these latest developments from the sidelines, with the prospect of peace on its southern border a more appealing goal than joining an effort to stop attacks that the Houthis say are directed at Israel a state the kingdom does not officially recognize and which is widely reviled by its people.

Attack in Nigeria (Foreign Policy) At least 160 people were killed and 300 people wounded in attacks on villages in central Nigeria, local officials said Monday. Monday Kassah, head of the local government in Bokkos, Plateau State, told the AFP that armed groups locally known as bandits launched attacks on at least 20 communities. Plateau State Gov. Caleb Mutfwang condemned the violence as “barbaric, brutal, and unjustified,” and governor’s office spokesperson Gyang Bere vowed to take proactive measures to protect civilians. However, Amnesty International criticized the government following the attacks, writing on X that “the Nigerian authorities have been failing to end frequent deadly attacks on rural communities of Plateau State.”

A Thriving Border Town Undercuts South Africa’s Anti-Immigrant Mood (NYT) By 7 a.m., lines of customers snake down the block outside stores on the main commercial strip in Musina, a bustling South African border town where thousands of people arrive daily from neighboring Zimbabwe to buy food, clothes and other necessities that are hard to get back home. A few miles away, at the border, pickup trucks bearing the seal of South Africa’s newly formed border patrol inspect the razor-wire fence, looking to arrest people who cross illegally braving bandits, crocodiles and the rushing Limpopo River. The border force represents an effort by the government, months ahead of crucial national elections, to respond to popular demand and clamp down on migrants sneaking into the country. Musina, surrounded by farms and a copper mine, is where the government’s muscular immigration policy collides with a tricky reality that many South Africans are loath to concede: that even people who cross the border illegally may be good for the country. Like politicians in the United States, Europe and elsewhere who score points by promising hardened borders and mass deportation, their South African counterparts are pitching a sweeping crackdown on foreigners to appeal to voters, playing on similar, often-unfounded fears that immigrants fuel crime and steal jobs.

Pope Francis blasts the weapons industry as he makes a Christmas appeal for peace in the world (AP) Pope Francis on Monday blasted the weapons industry and its “instruments of death” that fuel wars as he made a Christmas Day appeal for peace in the world and in particular between Israel and the Palestinians. Speaking from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to the throngs of people below, Francis said he grieved the “abominable attack” of Hamas against southern Israel on Oct. 7 and called for the release of hostages. And he begged for an end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the “appalling harvest of innocent civilians” as he called for humanitarian aid to reach those in need. Francis devoted his Christmas Day blessing to a call for peace in the world, noting that the biblical story of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem sent a message of peace. But he said that Bethlehem “is a place of sorrow and silence” this year. He took particular aim at the weapons industry, which he said was fueling the conflicts around the globe with scarcely anyone paying attention. “It should be talked about and written about, so as to bring to light the interests and the profits that move the puppet strings of war,” he said. “And how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise?” Francis has frequently blasted the weapons industry as “merchants of death” and has said that wars today, in Ukraine, in particular, are being used to try out new weapons or use up old stockpiles.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

#20yrsago Feral hippos haunt druglord’s estate https://web.archive.org/web/20030210201621/http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=ourWorldNews&storyID=2097687

#20yrsago McDonald’s can award A-levels in UK https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7211958.stm

#15yrsago Romanian manga — manga meets Metal Hurlant meets Marvel https://www.forbes.com/2008/01/09/romanian-manga-comics-forbeslife-globalpop08-cx-cd_0109doctorow.html

#15yrsago Good As Lily — ass-kicking girl-positive graphic novel for young readers https://memex.craphound.com/2008/01/30/good-as-lily-ass-kicking-girl-positive-graphic-novel-for-young-readers/

#10yrsago Guy makes a game about his crappy job working for Canadian tax authority, loses his crappy job https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/01/30/revenue_canada_worker_fired_for_his_online_customer_service_game.html

#5yrsago Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan Chase announce new health insurer ‘free from profit-making incentives and constraints’ https://money.cnn.com/2018/01/30/news/companies/amazon-berkshire-jpmorgan-health-insurance/index.html

#5yrsago After industry adopts open video standards, MPEG founder says the end is nigh https://blog.chiariglione.org/a-crisis-the-causes-and-a-solution/

#5yrsago Meet Hereditary Congressman Dan Lipinski, an anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ Illinois “Machine Democrat” who opposes the $15 minimum wage https://theintercept.com/2018/01/29/dan-lipinski-illinois-3rd-district-marie-newman/

#5yrsago Convicted criminal Silvio Berlusconi returns to Italian politics as a kingmaker https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/world/europe/berlusconi-italy-election.html?smid=tw-share

#5yrsago Berlin regulates Airbnb and safely deflates its housing bubble while returning 8,000 rentals to the market https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-housing-law-replenishes-housing-stock-for-renters/a-42360345

#5yrsago What youthquake? Jeremy Corbyn’s election surge was drawn from all age groups, not a mob of first-time young voters https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/the-myth-of-the-2017-youthquake-election/

#5yrsago Inside big tech’s last-minute scramble to comply with Europe’s new privacy rules https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/technology/europe-data-privacy-rules.html

#5yrsago Starlings: razor-sharp stories and poems from Jo Walton https://memex.craphound.com/2018/01/30/starlings-razor-sharp-stories-and-poems-from-jo-walton/

#5yrsago The in-depth tale of Bylock, the Turkish messenger app whose 1×1 tracking GIF was the basis for tens of thousands of treason accusations https://arrestedlawyers.org/2018/01/21/ever-changing-evidence-bylock/

#1yrago The battle for Ring Zero: The esoteric argument I have been having with myself since 2002 https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/30/ring-minus-one/#drm-political-economy

[head-post]

NATO critic emerges as favourite in Romania’s presidential election

The surprising outcome of the first round of Romania’s presidential election saw little-known right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu take the top spot with 22.9 percent of the vote, while Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, considered the favourite, dropped out of the race, results showed almost complete on Monday.

Georgescu is followed by centre-left Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu with 20.2 percent. Reformist candidate Elena Lasconi has 18 per cent, while another right candidate, George Simion, lags behind with 14.1 per cent support, according to data from 96 per cent of precincts.

An early exit poll suggested Lasconi was set to make it to the second round of the presidential election, but Georgescu’s numbers rose sharply on Sunday night, foreshadowing a result that is set to upend Romanian politics.

“The 35-year economic uncertainty imposed on the Romanian people has become today an uncertainty for the political parties,” Georgescu said in his first reaction after polls closed. He called the result a “surprising awakening” of the Romanian people.

Georgescu, an extremely religious man, campaigned on reducing Romania’s dependence on imports, supporting farmers and increasing domestic food and energy production. He also argued that the EU and NATO did not properly represent Romania’s interests and claimed that the conflict in Romania’s neighbouring Ukraine was the result of manipulation by US military companies.

In 2022, he argued that the US missile defence shield located in the southern Romanian village of Deveselu was part of a policy of confrontation rather than a peaceful measure. He said at the time that he had no support from Russia but felt close to its culture. Georgescu also said he admires Hungary because of its skill in international negotiations. Georgescu is a university professor and international consultant on sustainable development who has worked in various United Nations organisations for more than a dozen years.

He used TikTok to rally voters around him. “He managed to convince them with a combination of a messianic speech delivered elegantly to capitalise on people’s frustration,” said political analyst Radu Magdin. Georgescu has been mentioned several times over the past decade as a potential prime minister by various parties, including Simion’s AUR party.

Turnout nationally and among the Romanian diaspora was 52.5 per cent, slightly higher than the 51.2 per cent who voted in the previous presidential election in 2019. The second round of the presidential election is scheduled for December 8, following Romania’s parliamentary elections next Sunday.

Read more HERE

[unitedventurez]

Far-Right Candidate Surges Ahead in Romania's Presidential Election

In a stunning turn of events, far-right candidate Calin Georgescu has emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of Romania's presidential election, narrowly outpacing his pro-Europe rival, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. With 96% of votes counted, Georgescu, an ultranationalist with no political party backing, secured 22% of the vote, while Ciolacu, representing the Social Democrats, trailed closely behind at 20%, according to preliminary results from the Central Electoral Bureau.

Georgescu’s unexpected surge—fueled by his unconventional campaign strategy, largely conducted on the social media platform TikTok—has caught many by surprise. His strong performance sets up a potential run-off election between him and Ciolacu on December 8, raising the stakes for millions of Romanians who voted for other candidates in the first round.

For these voters, the choice is stark: support Ciolacu, the pro-Western establishment figure who advocates for Romania's continued integration with the European Union and NATO, or throw their weight behind Georgescu, who has positioned himself as a defender of Romania’s sovereignty and criticized the country’s alignment with Western institutions. Georgescu has openly opposed Romania's participation in NATO’s missile defense system and pledged to reduce Romania’s dependence on the EU and NATO, especially in relation to Ukraine.

As final results from Bucharest and the overseas Romanian diaspora are still pending, the political landscape remains fluid. Initial exit polls had predicted a stronger showing for Ciolacu, with center-right candidate Elena Lasconi in second place. However, the current tally places Lasconi in third with 18%, followed by nationalist George Simion in fourth.

The Romanian presidency holds mostly symbolic power but plays a significant role in shaping the country's foreign policy. Voter turnout was recorded at 51%, mirroring the turnout seen in the previous election five years ago.

[swldx]

Radio Romania Int. 0428 2 Nov 2024

9510Khz 0358 2 NOV 2024 - RADIO ROMANIA INT. (ROMANIA) in ENGLISH from GALBENI. SINPO = 55445. English, @0358z RRI int. QRM=VoA music via Vatican. @0400z VoA s/off and RRI news jingle fb ID (Western NA service) by male announcer. News @0401z read by female announcer. § The Romanian Ministry of Defence (MApN) welcomed Tuesday, October 29, Norway's initiative to support Romania in the acquisition of an advanced Patriot surface-to-air missile system. The Norwegian government's decision to contribute NOK 1.4 billion (approximately USD 127 million) to this purchase was announced at the Nordic Council Session held in Reykjavik this week. Romania also acquired 32 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from Norway, and a new batch of three arrived in the country last week. The rest are to be delivered by the end of 2025. § A Romanian on the missing person list in the Spain flood has been identified as dead, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday evening. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Romanian Consulate in Castellón de la Plana and the Romanian Embassy in Madrid, is verifying information concerning the other Romanian citizens reported missing. As of the latest data released, 16 Romanians remain unaccounted for. § The election campaign for the parliamentary elections of December 1st officially got under way today. Romanian voters will elect 466 MPs, 330 in the Chamber of Deputies and 136 in the Senate. The election campaign will come to an end on 30th November. Romanian citizens residing abroad will be able to cast their ballots either through postal voting or in person at one of the polling stations set up abroad. The Romanian foreign ministry submitted to the Permanent Electoral Authority its proposals for the 950 polling stations to be set up abroad for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. The election campaign for the presidential elections began a week ago. The first round will take place on 24th November, and the second round on 8th December. In June, Romania also saw European and local elections. § Radio Romania today celebrates 96 years of uninterrupted service. With over 3 million listeners a day, the public radio station must reinvent itself and make itself more attractive to younger audiences, said the director general of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan-Ioan Dincă. Radio Romania broadcast its first programme at 5 pm on 1st November 1928. In recognition of its decisive role in the country’s history, in December 2019 Parliament declared 1st November National Radio Day in Romania. To mark this occasion, the Radio Concert Hall is tonight hosting an anniversary concert conducted by the celebrated Romanian conductor Cristian Mandeal. § The Romanian minister for the economy, entrepreneurship and tourism Ştefan-Radu Oprea and the Turkish trade minister Omer Bolat are today chairing the second session of the Romania-Turkey Economic and Commercial Committee. According to the Romanian ministry, the event will focus on developing economic ties and consolidating the strategic partnership between the two countries. On 31st December 2021, commercial exchanges between Romania and Turkey amounted to 8.342 billion dollars, with exports accounting for 3.103 billion dollars and imports for 5.238 billion dollars. Trade exchanges grew by more than 30% compared with the same period last year. @0406z Report read by male announcer that on Nov 1 RRI celebrates 96 years of uninterrupted service. The parliament just passed a law that Nov 1 will now be "National Radio Day" in Romania. 100' (30m) of Kev-Flex wire feeding "Magic Wand" antenna hanging in backyard tree w/MFJ-1020C active antenna (used as a preamplifier/preselector), JRC NRD-535D. 300kW, beamAz 300°, bearing 37°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 8292KM from transmitter at Galbeni. Local time: 2258.

[mariacallous]

Reflecting the instincts of a cold war veteran, Joe Biden’s strategy was familiar: contain the conflict. When the US president spoke in Warsaw in March 2022, a month after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he drew a red line at Vladimir Putin’s toes. “Don’t even think about moving on one single inch of Nato territory,” he warned.

The western allies would provide weapons and aid to Kyiv, impose sweeping economic and financial sanctions on Moscow and reduce the rouble to “rubble”, Biden vowed. Though not a Nato member, the US would help Ukraine win this symbolic battle for freedom and democracy. But it would not directly confront Russia unless Russia first attacked Nato.

Thirty months on, Biden’s containment strategy is failing miserably. Like an untreated cancer, Ukraine’s crisis metastasises uncontrollably. Far from being confined to the mud and ice of the Donbas, the war’s spreading, toxic fallout grows more globally destructive by the day. It contaminates and blights everything it touches. True, a “hot” war between Russia and Nato has been avoided so far. Yet Polish and Romanian territory has been affected by stray missiles and maritime attacks. The entire Black Sea region is embroiled, as is Belarus. Putin claims that the west is already waging war on Russia and threatens it with nuclear weapons. Propagandists vow to vaporise Poland.

The crisis has triggered US-Europe splits in Nato and within the EU. Rows flare over sending troops and long-range missiles to Ukraine, inviting Kyiv to join the alliance, and forging a separate European “defence identity”. France’s newly hawkish stance is cancelled out by German caution.

Neutral Sweden and Finland were panicked into joining Nato. The Baltic republics fear renewed Russian aggression. Hungary and Serbia appease the Kremlin. Italy wavers. No one feels safe.

The war is fuelling right-left political extremism as support surges for Putin’s paid-for populist apologists. In Moldova, last weekend’s EU membership referendum was grossly distorted by what its president, Maia Sandu, called a huge bribery operation by “criminal groups working together with foreign forces” – namely, Kremlin stooges.

Now Moscow is eyeing this weekend’s elections in Georgia where it covertly conspires to ensure pro-western parties lose. Such hybrid warfare – subversion, disinformation, influence operations, cyber-attacks, scams, online trolling – has mushroomed worldwide since 2022, as authoritarian regimes follow Russia’s lead.

Failure to contain the war is encouraging seismic geopolitical shifts, most notably the China-Russia “no-limits” partnership. China’s president, Xi Jinping, gets cheap oil; ostracised Putin gets sanctions-busting dual-use tech plus diplomatic backing. But it’s so much more than that. At last week’s Brics summit – hosted by Putin – Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa were joined by Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela and, alarmingly, Nato member Turkey (among many others). Putin envisages a global anti-western alliance, Xi a post-American, China-led 21st-century new world order.

These are no idle dreams. For many second-tier countries, the west’s condemnation of Russian aggression in Ukraine and its refusal to condemn, and active facilitation of, Israeli aggression in Palestine represents an intolerable double standard. Some are switching sides.

What better illustrates the unbounded nature of this inexorably expanding conflict than the startling news that North Korea, in a breath-taking counterpoint to US and UK military intervention in the Korean war nearly 75 years ago, is deploying troops to the Ukraine theatre?

And how appalling that Donald Trump can cynically use Ukraine’s “forever war” to persuade US voters that Democrats like Kamala Harris cannot control a chaotic world, Nato is a con-trick run by freeloading Europeans and the UN is useless.

The war diverts attention from other grave conflicts, from Sudan to Myanmar. Attacks on Kyiv’s grain exports have caused food shortages and price spikes hurting poorer countries. It disrupts cooperative action on climate; indeed, it has greatly increased greenhouse gas emissions While Putin, indicted for war crimes, goes unpunished, respect for international law and the UN charter plummets. Impunity flourishes.

The war’s enormous economic costs are escalating. The World Bank estimates that the first two years caused $152bn (£117bn) of direct damage in Ukraine. The UN predicts $486bn is needed for recovery and reconstruction. Each day, the totals rise. Meanwhile, Russia constructs shadowy international networks – an officially approved black market – to circumvent sanctions and undermine dollar hegemony.

The cost in lives is heartbreaking. Conservative UN estimates suggest that about 10,000 civilians have been killed and twice that number injured. More than 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers may have died. Russian military casualties are an estimated 115,000 killed and 500,000 wounded. The cost to Russian society of intensifying authoritarianism, corruption and suppression of dissent and free media is immeasurable.

Ukraine has not lost the war, which is a remarkable feat in itself. But it is not winning, either. Western support is weakening, despite the rhetoric; Russian forces advance. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “victory plan” has few takers. Winter is coming.

How much of this could have been prevented? Some developments, such as the China-Russia axis and rising rightwing populism, were happening anyway. The war simply accelerated them. But a lot of the wider damage was avoidable, wholly or in part.

In Warsaw, Biden was candid, almost boastful: back in January 2022, US intelligence knew that the invasion was imminent. He said he had repeatedly warned Putin it would be a big mistake. Yet, given his passionate belief that Ukraine’s fight for democracy and freedom has vital universal significance, surely what Biden should have done is told Russia’s dictator bluntly: ���Forget it. Don’t invade. Or else you will find yourself fighting a better-armed, more powerful Nato.”

It’s called deterrence. It’s what Nato is for. Containment was never enough. Putin might still not have listened. But coward that he is, he probably would have – and saved everyone a world of pain.

[worldspotlightnews]

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