Euroskeptic Candidate George Simion Alleges French Interference in Romania’s Presidential Election

 George Simion, a prominent Euroskeptic and leader of Romania’s right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians, has accused France of attempting to undermine democracy in Romania ahead of the country’s presidential runoff election scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2025. Simion, who secured over 40% of the vote in the first round of the election rerun on May 4, made the claims in an interview with entrepreneur Mario Nawfal published on Friday.

The rerun was ordered after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the results of the initial November 2024 presidential election, in which independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu led with 23% of the vote. The court cited campaign irregularities and intelligence reports alleging Russian interference—allegations that Moscow has vehemently denied. Simion, a vocal EU critic who has been barred from entering Ukraine, has endorsed Georgescu and indicated he might appoint him as prime minister if elected.

In the interview, Simion alleged that France has been exerting pressure on Romania’s Constitutional Court, media regulator, and businesses to influence the election outcome. “They are putting a lot of money and pressure—through their ambassador here, and through foreign institutions—in order to rob the Romanian people of their vote,” he stated. He drew a comparison to a recent French court ruling barring conservative politician Marine Le Pen from the 2027 presidential election due to an embezzlement conviction, accusing French President Emmanuel Macron of authoritarianism.

“I want to address the free French people against this authoritarian Emmanuel Macron, who doesn’t have the support of the French people, who banned Marine Le Pen, who is supporting the idea of imposing a dictatorship [in Romania] and canceling the will of the people,” Simion declared. He described the annulment of the 2024 election results as a “coup d’état” and claimed that similar efforts were being made to derail his own campaign, warning of “evil plans” targeting him.

Simion further asserted Romania’s sovereignty, stating, “The Romanian people were humiliated with the annulment of the election. We don’t have masters. The age of empires is over. We are free, sovereign nations. And these imperialistic reflexes Emmanuel Macron and others have will only backfire.”

In response, French Ambassador to Bucharest Nicolas Warnery referenced a “hybrid attack” on Romania in 2024, stating earlier this month on Digi24, “We understand your decision to completely restart the presidential election from scratch.” The allegations of foreign interference, both from Russia and now France, have heightened tensions as Romania approaches the pivotal runoff vote, with Simion positioning himself as a staunch defender of national sovereignty against external pressures.