The Fervor Surrounding a Lesser-Known European Nation Grips U.S. Internet Community
Romania, a hidden gem on Europe's eastern edge, recently caught the eye of the new US administration, whose foreign policy priorities lean towards ending the conflict in Ukraine, reshaping the Middle East, and expanding American territory. This shift left many Romania natives stunned, as their politics rarely garner international attention.
"Unprecedented" is the word Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the GlobalFocus Center, a think-tank in the capital, Bucharest, uses to describe the recent scrutiny on Romania's politics from afar. She can't recall a time when Romania's affairs have been so closely twisted under the scope of foreign observers since its post-Soviet history.
The limelight has centered around Călin Georgescu, a Kremlin-friendly ultranationalist candidate in Romania's abruptly terminated presidential election last year, and Andrew Tate, a "manosphere" celebrity currently charged with rape and human trafficking by Romanian authorities, allegations he denies.
These two gentlemen share little in common, but they boldly proclaim having been subjected to a "witch hunt" by corrupt liberal institutions - much like President Donald Trump, turning them into unlikely cause celebres in conservative American circles and creating a foe in the Romanian state.
In Georgescu, the online right sees a politician with unorthodox views being foiled an election win on flimsy claims of "foreign interference." Meanwhile, in Tate, they see an influential man facing trumped-up charges to cut him down. And in Romania, they see the most significant threat European democracy can face today.
Both men have amplified the US Vice President's claim. Since Romania lifted travel restrictions on Tate - reportedly under US pressure - the self-proclaimed misogynist influencer has insisted that the charges against him were false, comparing his legal troubles to those of Trump.
Călin Georgescu, virtually unknown before the election, has also compared claims made about his election campaign to those about Trump. The 62-year-old former soil scientist - who opposes sending aid to Ukraine, calls Russian President Vladimir Putin a "patriot" and expresses sympathy for Romania's wartime fascist leadership - unexpectedly won the first round of the election in November. However, the constitutional court annulled it following declassified intelligence reports that uncovered possible Russian interference in Georgescu's TikTok-fueled campaign, which Moscow denies.
After prosecutors charged him with establishing a fascist group and other crimes, which he denies, the electoral bureau banned Georgescu from standing in May's re-run, leading to violent protests in Bucharest. He claims it has nothing to do with Russia and is merely a copy-paste of the accusations made against Trump.
While Tate has long championed Trump, Georgescu is a newer convert. As recently as last summer, Georgescu publicly disparaged the US president and spread conspiracy theories about J.D. Vance. However, he soon saw an opportunity to "ride the Trump wave" after sensing an opportunity to draw inspiration from a brand of political discourse that seems to operate without rules, marked by conspiratorial thinking, disinformation, and personal attacks against opponents.
The Trump administration's reported efforts to free the Tates has sparked controversy. In late March, the Financial Times reported that Trump's special envoy Richard Grenell had pressured Romania's foreign minister to ease restrictions on the Tate brothers during talks at the Munich Security Conference. However, both Romania's foreign ministry and Grenell have denied pressuring Romanian officials.
The heavily contested political ground has set off alarm bells about U.S. interference in Romania's democratic process. In his Munich speech, J.D. Vance criticized Romania as an instance of democratic backsliding in Europe, favoring right-wing movements over democratic institutions, sparked by the Trump administration's clear alignment with figures like Călin Georgescu and the Tate brothers.
- Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the GlobalFocus Center in Bucharest, suggests Romania's politics are under extraordinary international scrutiny, a phenomenon not seen since its post-Soviet history.
- Andrew Tate, a "manosphere" celebrity and Călin Georgescu, a Kremlin-friendly ultranationalist, have found themselves in the global spotlight, with both claiming to be victims of a "witch hunt" by corrupt institutions.
- J.D. Vance, an American author, has notably switched his stance on Romania, previously criticizing its democracy but now aligning with figures like Călin Georgescu, a move that has raised concerns about global interference in Romania's democratic process.
