Who is Romania's far-right presidential candidate George Simion?

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00After the first results came in, a jubilant George Simeon addressed his supporters.

00:05The right-wing nationalist candidate won more than 40% of the first-round vote

00:09and will go to the runoff on the 18th of May.

00:14This is the victory of those who have not lost hope,

00:17of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected and sovereign country.

00:24The 38-year-old Romanian voted on Sunday alongside Killeen Georgescu.

00:28A symbolic gesture representing the pair's alignment

00:32throughout the political turmoil that has divided the country.

00:35Georgescu was a far-right candidate and front-runner for the presidency

00:39in the previous election late last year,

00:41until Romania's constitutional court abruptly annulled the results,

00:46citing Russian interference to sway the vote in Georgescu's favour.

00:51Classified documents revealed suspicious TikTok accounts

00:54as well as the use of paid social media influencers

00:56and cyber attacks from external forces.

00:59As an investigation was opened and Georgescu was barred from running,

01:04Simeon remained firmly by his side.

01:06If the voice of the people will say,

01:10we want Mr Georgescu in power, we'll take him to power.

01:14Simeon was born in the eastern city of Foxan

01:16and went on to study business and administration in Bucharest.

01:19During his master's, he focused on communist-era crimes

01:22and his early civic activism involved campaigning

01:25for reunification with Moldova.

01:27In 2019, Simeon founded the AUR Nationalist Party

01:31and has been an MP since 2020.

01:34He refuses to be labelled as far-right,

01:36but is openly anti-gay marriage,

01:38a eurosceptic and a vocal supporter of US President Donald Trump.

01:42He also opposes military aid to neighbouring Ukraine.

01:46And we are hoping that peace will be found

01:52through the efforts of President-elect Trump.

01:57Simeon goes into the second round in the lead,

02:00but will have to face off against Bucharest's pro-EU mayor

02:03to take the reins of the country.

Category

Transcript

Recommended