There was a moment in the history of Romania when two characters as divergent as the mayor of the Romanian capital, Nicuor Dan, and the far-right leader George Simion, found themselves on the same side of political activism. It was in 2006, recalls the mathematician, and the one who now presents himself as a defender of a radically conservative ideology was among the followers mobilized by the young Dan and the Association to Save Bucharest.
"We were trying to fight against real estate speculation," recalls Dan, in the small offices from which he directs his electoral campaign. According to Radio Free Europe, Simion even wrote that he intended to vote for Dan when he first ran for mayor of the main Romanian city in 2012.
Now, both are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. According to polls, Dan has become, along with the also "pro-European" candidate and former leader of the National Liberal Party, Crin Antonescu, the possible rival of Simion in the second round of the presidential elections that this country is attending, if this Sunday none of the 11 candidates achieves an absolute majority, something that all polls conducted so far discard.
At 55, Dan earned a solid reputation for a decade as a defender of social causes, especially for his fight to prevent the destruction of a villa that last century received the nickname "Little Paris of the Balkans." A nod to his professional training, which he developed for several years in the French capital.
Dan lost the aforementioned municipal elections in 2012, but won them eight years later, after leaving social protest to enter politics when he was appointed a deputy in 2016. Last year, he repeated victory in the fight for the same mayoralty.
Although the centrist politician did not run in the presidential elections held in November, the annulment of those votes - accompanied by the disqualification of the election winner, the far-right Calin Georgescu - made him change his mind.
Question. What could happen if George Simion, who acknowledges being part of a project to control European governments with ultra-conservative leaders supported by the Maga movement from the US, becomes the president of Romania?
Answer. I believe his connection with Russia is more important. He has stated on many occasions that he would stop aid to Ukraine and Moldova. If he were to become president, it would be very difficult for European leaders to reach a unanimous decision regarding the rearmament of Europe.
Q. According to polls, the credibility of key institutions in Romania such as the Presidency, Parliament, and the Government is minimal. A survey from two years ago indicated that only 17.4% of Romanians trusted Parliament, highlighting the complete discredit of the local political class to which you belong. How did we get to this point?
A. First, I want to remind you that when I took office at the Bucharest City Hall in 2020, the same situation was happening. Trust in the mayoralty was around 30%. After the first four years, it rose to 60%. But let's talk at a national level. It's the fault of corruption. Both large and small. For example, if you have to go to the hospital in a small town, you need to know someone (to get attention). And cases of major corruption are not prosecuted by the prosecutor's office. Additionally, inflation started to rise since Covid. The pandemic crisis added to the Ukraine war, and our leaders failed to explain why certain decisions had to be made in the first case (isolation and vaccines) or that our security depends on Ukraine's security. Moreover, there is evidence of a network of small internet pages supported by Russia. They promote various things like natural medicine, lifestyles, or religion, and they are activated to create confusion during moments like elections. (That was the main argument that led to the annulment of the vote in the November presidential elections).
Q. But how is it possible that after only 35 years of democracy, a significant part of society has supported a figure like Calin Georgescu, who declares himself an admirer of the fascism that led Romania and allied with Hitler? Is it an error of the educational system, of the system in general?
A. I will tell you that even (Nicolae) Ceaucescu (the former communist dictator who was overthrown in the 1989 revolution) is perceived positively by the population in surveys (the one conducted by the Institute of Social Studies in 2018 showed that 64.3% of Romanians had a good opinion of the autocrat, despite being accused of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of people). The (Romanian) society has not understood the benefits of democracy. It's a very short period, and they don't think much about freedom or democracy. They think more about their living conditions. This adds to their lack of trust in politicians. Simion and others (Calin Georgescu, etc.) are the ones who speak the loudest. The public's anger is so great that they don't think beyond wanting someone to end the political class.
Q. A representative of the National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania "Elie Wiesel" told me that they have been warning the state for years about the proliferation of small groups promoting the ideology of the fascist movement of the Legion of the Archangel Michael from the last century, without the administration taking any action. They say these are the same groups that supported Calin Georgescu in last year's elections. What is your opinion?
A. I believe these organizations are not a problem because they are very few people. Their ideology is a problem, and we have to fight against it.
Q. Is the traditional political class disconnecting from a significant sector of society that no longer gets informed through traditional media but through social networks like TikTok?
A. I don't know anything about TikTok. I follow traditional media.
Q. You are an independent candidate, and if you win the elections, you will not have a clear majority in Parliament. How do you plan to exercise power?
A. The president has a series of powers such as appointing the attorney general, coordinating intelligence services, and proposing the prime minister. When I won the Bucharest mayoralty, I was also independent and managed to work with some of the parties in the municipality.
Q. According to official data, Calin Georgescu received the highest number of votes in the last elections in the border regions with Ukraine, and analysts attribute this to the fear of war. Is it possible to reverse that perception?
A. It has been a stupid mistake (by the authorities). It is very easy to explain the difference between sharing a border with Ukraine and with Russia. Georgescu said that (to achieve peace) all that was needed was to connect with nature.
Q. If you become President, will you order the shooting down of Russian drones approaching the Romanian border? Several cases have already been recorded of unmanned aircraft from that country attacking Ukrainian ports on the Danube and eventually hitting Romanian territory.
A. Yes, of course. We already have a law that was passed two months ago, and now we have to implement it. It was a mistake to go three years without that law.
Q. Do you believe that a peace agreement is possible through hypothetical negotiations between Ukraine and Russia?
A. We have seen countless ceasefires that have not been respected by (Vladimir) Putin. The best for everyone would be a peace agreement, but I don't think we are very close to it.
Q. Donald Trump has suggested that Ukraine cede sovereignty over Crimea, occupied by Russia in 2014, to end the war. What is your opinion?
A. It is a decision that the Ukrainians must make, but it is something that Romania will not accept. It could create many problems, in addition to the military ones derived from the presence (of the fleet) of Russia in the Black Sea and its anti-aircraft capabilities installed in Crimea. Our main concern is that Romania and Ukraine have an agreement on the demarcation of the Black Sea, and if Crimea becomes part of Russia, Moscow may not accept it.
Q. US media and Trump himself have suggested the possibility of Washington withdrawing the 1,700 troops deployed in three bases in Romania. What is your opinion?
A. We have a special relationship with the US, and their presence in Romania is a guarantee for our country. I hope we have time to improve our own defense in case that withdrawal occurs. The EU must take responsibility for European security into its own hands. (If I win the elections) I plan to increase the defense budget to 3.5%.