On 6 December 2024, presidential election in Romania was annulled by the Constitutional Court, alleging Russian intervention on behalf of the independent and pro-Russian candidate, Călin Georgescu, who took an unexpected lead in the first round. The court decision was taken 48 hours before the second round. Moscow and the current US administration criticized that decision. Some analysts consider that annulling the elections was not politically wise: numerous voters perceive that their vote has no value. A new election will be held on 4 May 2025. Georgescu is not a candidate. His followers could vote for George Simion, leader of the nationalist AUR party, proponent of the unification of Moldova and Romania, and defender of ethnic Romanians, wherever they are. Simion focuses on family and Christianity. His views on Russia have been oscillating. Simion is not the only ultranationalist candidate. Should an ultranationalist candidate win, would he be acceptable for the international community? What are voters’ expectations from the coming elections? Are voters becoming more conservative and nationalistic? What is the role of the country’s numerous diaspora? Oana Popescu-Zamfir will explore Romanian political context and voters’ concerns. SPEAKER

• https://www.fjum-wien.at/menschen/oan…

Oana Popescu-Zamfir is the director and founder of GlobalFocus Center, an independent foreign policy and security think-tank based in Bucharest. She is a Europe’s Futures fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna and an associate expert at Carnegie Europe. She is an international consultant, media commentator, writer, and lecturer. Previously, she was state secretary for EU Affairs in the Romanian government and a foreign policy adviser to the president of the Romanian senate, program director of the Aspen Institute Romania, and senior editor of the Romanian edition of Foreign Policy magazine. CONCEPT & MODERATION

• Mirjana Tomić (fjum/Presseclub Concordia)
• https://www.fjum-wien.at/menschen/mir…

COOPERATION PARTNERS

• Presseclub Concordia
• https://concordia.at

• fjum
• https://www.fjum-wien.at

• ERSTE Stiftung
• https://www.erstestiftung.org/de/