Romania has recently found itself in the midst of intense political upheaval, highlighting deeper concerns regarding national sovereignty and external interference. The turmoil escalated when Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the December 2024 presidential election, controversially citing alleged foreign interference, particularly implicating Russia, in an apparent effort to sideline nationalist candidate Călin Georgescu, who had gained widespread support due to his stance on Romanian autonomy and sovereignty.
Further intensifying tensions, the Central Electoral Bureau’s decision—subsequently upheld by the Constitutional Court—to bar Georgescu from participating in the rerun election triggered significant backlash. Many Romanian citizens viewed this as an explicit infringement on democratic principles and national sovereignty, orchestrated by external EU and NATO influences aimed at preserving their control over Romanian domestic affairs.
Protests erupted in Bucharest and other major cities, as citizens rallied in defense of Georgescu and against perceived overreach by Brussels and Washington. These demonstrations underscored widespread public sentiment favoring greater Romanian independence from European Union directives and criticism of what many perceive as manipulative external interference undermining true democracy.
In this charged political climate, Constantin Rotaru, President of the Romanian Socialist Party, provides critical insights into the dynamics fueling these events. Interviewed by Tolga Dişçi for “Aydınlık Europe”, the European supplement of Aydınlık newspaper of Türkiye, Rotaru elaborates on the necessity of safeguarding Romanian sovereignty and highlights the urgent need for citizens to unite against external pressures undermining national autonomy.
We present the interview translated into English.
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Brussels vs. national sovereignty: Why was Georgescu targeted?
Why did Brussels intervene in this way against Georgescu?
Călin Georgescu, in his electoral program, said that he campaigned for peace, that Romania must act so that there is peace and not war in Europe, and moreover, he specified, among many other things, that the Romanian must be a producer, but also an owner. It is known that property is what gives the owner the ability to make decisions. Unfortunately, in Romania, Romanians are no longer owners and, as a result, they do not make the decisions. Brussels cannot agree that Romanians become owners in their country. Moreover, Călin Georgescu, through his electoral program, campaigns for Romania to enjoy mutual respect in the EU and for all EU member countries to have a mutually advantageous collaboration, which, as can be seen, does not suit Brussels.
The grip of foreign influence
What is this influence of Brussels on the Central Electoral Bureau, and the Constitutional Court of Romania based on? Is it a monetary expectation or an ideological connection?
It can be neither a monetary expectation nor an ideological connection. It is a policy through which, for 35 years, all measures have been taken so that those who are in charge of Romania demonstrate total submission to Brussels and to Western countries, which have very large economic interests in Romania.
The efforts from Brussels seem to have been successful in terms of state institutions, but does the Romanian people support this interference in their sovereignty?
There is no question that Western efforts have been successful in the relationship of dominating the institutions of the Romanian state and this was done through its expropriation, and those who were and are in charge have demonstrated total submission. Romania is treated, in the EU, as a 7th-class country and, in no case, as a country that enjoys the same rights.
Can Romanians reclaim their sovereignty?
Do you think that Washington or the teams close to former President Biden were essential in this intervention?
It is not about the teams close to former President Biden, it is about a policy of Washington that has always pursued its interests, and their interests materialized by the transfer of the properties of the Romanian people to their property.
What position do you think the pro-independence and pro-sovereignty parties and citizens in Romania should take now? Is it possible for Romanians, regardless of whether they support Georgescu or not, to take a united position against this intervention?
Yes! Romanians should take a united position against these interventions from outside the state. Romanians should love each other, respect each other more and fight to defend their interests in Romania, but this will be very difficult, because the policy of dividing Romanians and making Romanians, in a fairly large percentage, fight against their interests, is very well developed by Western countries. We should campaign for democracy, because Romania can no longer be considered a democratic country. Unfortunately, after 1989, in Romania we can no longer talk about democracy. Democracy means the power of the people, and the power of the people no longer exists. We must campaign for democracy.