Romanian run-off: what's at stake?
In the Romanian presidential run-off vote on Sunday, Nicușor Dan, a pro-European independent candidate and mayor of Bucharest, is pitted against George Simion from the ultra-right AUR party. Simion scored a clear victory in the first round of the election, securing 41 percent of the vote compared to Dan's 21 percent. Tensions are running high in the commentary sections.
A game-changing vote
Hospodářské noviny describes a deep crisis in the country's political system:
“Many pro-European Romanians view Sunday's election as historic - game-changing even. If Simion were to become head of state it would have devastating consequences for Romania's fragile democracy. Romanian nationalists such as Simion and Georgescu are capitalising on the fact that most Romanians are fed up with the system that has been in place for the last three decades, in which power has been shared by two parties that have created a corruption-ridden duopoly that is unable to move the country forward or ensure a better standard of living.”
The disaffected accept radical positions
Given the choice, many voters would simply turn a blind eye to George Simion's ideology, writes Libertatea:
“There is unanimity among Romanian political scientists that George Simion and his party espouse a neo-Legionary, revanchist ideology and downplay the crimes and hate speech of the leaders of the [fascist] Legionary Movement that was in power in Romania [from 1927 to 1941]. Simion's list of problems is even longer ... After all, this kind of intellectual pursuit can be seen as an elitist luxury, since most Romanians have far more pressing financial problems that no government in recent years has managed to address.”
Keep right-wing profiteers in check
A victory for Simion would pose a major problem for the EU, De Volkskrant warns:
“Politicians like Orbán, Fico and Simion want to have their cake and eat it: they pursue their own nationalist agenda while benefiting from EU subsidies and economic advantages. The EU must take firm action against this. Those who want to benefit economically from Europe must also commit to Europe as a community of democratic values. This is a question of honesty, but also of strategy. In a world where autocrats are on the rise, Europe can only fight back if it maintains its internal cohesion and defends the values of democracy and the rule of law.”
A crossroads
Contributors emphasises the European dimension of the runoff vote:
“This election is not just about the presidency. It's about Romania's position in a world where ideologies are making a strong comeback. If we have a sovereignist president, it's very likely that Romania will become a Trojan horse within the EU - a voice that sabotages joint initiatives, blocks strategic decisions and fuels Euroscepticism in the region. Paradoxically, such a president would not strengthen Romania's sovereignty, but weaken it. Without a solid partnership with the EU, Romania risks being left alone in the grey zone - exactly where Russia wants it to be.”
Church with far-right leanings
Eight bishops from various churches of the Hungarian minority in Romania issued a joint appeal to vote against extremism on Sunday. Deutsche Welle's Romanian Service finds it worrying that its Romanian Orthodox counterpart remains silent on the issue:
“The Romanian Orthodox Church is dithering again and fails to grasp the urgency of the moment. As in the past, it remains neutral in the face of disaster. ... Back then the Church allowed itself to be taken in by the Legionary Movement [a fascist group during the interwar period] and their antisemitic and violent spirit. In recent years, high-ranking Orthodox clergy have been openly Eurosceptic and hostile vis-à-vis the 'decadent West'. The AUR party goes down well with the Orthodox elite.”
At least there's a debate
Magyar Hang looks across the border with a touch of envy:
“In certain areas of life, the situation in Romania is better than in Hungary. ... A case in point is the four-hour debate that took place between the remaining candidates in the repeat presidential election. Both candidates tirelessly presented their arguments and also their accusations against each other, answering questions and commenting on specific policy issues. ... In contrast, Hungary's prime minister has come up with a whole lexicon of excuses for why he has not participated in a debate since 2006.”