EU and NATO express concerns over potential victory of right-wing presidential candidate in Romania, worried about potential policy shifts that could impact alliances and regional stability.
Good day! In yesterday's presidential election first round in Romania, the hard-right nationalist George Simion emerged as the clear frontrunner, securing around 40% of the vote. However, his win in the May 18 run-off is anything but guaranteed, writes our man in Bucharest.
Romania held a redo of the presidential election after controversially nixing the previous vote in December, with suspicions of Russian meddling favoring obscure soil engineer Călin Georgescu, an ardent admirer of President Vladimir Putin. While the US was displeased with the decision to annul the election, citing "flimsy" evidence, Simion, the youthful leader of the hard-right AUR party, has risen from hell-raising football hooligan to full-blown Donald Trump cheerleader. He's also been barred from entering neighboring Ukraine and Moldova.
Simion has unsettled EU capitals who see him as a subverter of Romania’s standing as a reliable Euro-Atlantic ally, a cornerstone of NATO's eastern flank, and a key route for trade with Ukraine. Dan, the liberal mayor of Bucharest, won 20.9% of the vote to secure second place, just barely edging out centrist candidate Crin Antonescu.
Dan's chances of victory will depend on his ability to convert Antonescu's votes and form a mainstream alliance. Simion, however, is not too concerned, telling the Financial Times, "This is only a smoke bomb, a diversion [from the fact] that I'm not the extremist, the hooligan, the isolationist they are portraying me to be." He could also pick up voters from former premier Victor Ponta, a leftwing politician turned Trump fan, who won 13.3% of the vote.
Romania's credit rating has been downgraded, it runs the EU’s highest budget deficit, and has failed to meet conditions to release certain development funds. Despite this, Simion insists he poses no threat to the country's direction, declaring, "I am the guarantee the free world has that [Romania] will not change the course . . . I will do whatever I can to empower NATO."
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The EU's trade tsar wants more manpower and less bureaucracy as he ramps up negotiations with third countries seeking new allies amid US President Donald Trump's trade war. The EU is currently negotiating trade deals with a host of countries, including India, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. With Trump's tariffs accelerating the wave of activity, the EU has inked deals with the Mercosur bloc and updated its pact with Mexico. Brussels is also reviving a potential strategic partnership with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a group of 12 Indo-Pacific countries. Maroš Šefčovič, the EU's trade commissioner, believes a larger negotiating team and streamlined procedures will help speed up the deals. DG Trade, the commission department in charge of trade policy, is reportedly "a little desperate" due to the increased demand.
- The upcoming presidential run-off in Romania has left the country's economy in uncertain conditions, particularly following the downgrade of Romania's credit rating and the highest EU budget deficit.
- In an effort to boost its negotiations with potential allies, the EU's trade tsar has proposed adding more manpower and reducing bureaucracy to expedite the deal-making process.
- The hard-right nationalist, George Simion, who is the frontrunner in Romania's presidential race, has maintained that he poses no threat to the country's direction, despite being barred from neighboring countries and facing criticism for his far-right policies.
- The newsletters from Bucharest detail the political landscape in Romania, revealing that the liberal mayor of Bucharest, Dan, will face a challenge in converting centrist candidate Crin Antonescu's votes to secure victory in the May 18 run-off.
- Ursula, the EU's trade commissioner, believes that increased manpower and streamlined procedures within DG Trade will help to successfully negotiate trade deals with various countries, such as India, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates, amid ongoing trade wars and accords like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
