Recent polling from Atlas Intel indicates that Georgescu is leading with 47 percent, four points ahead of Lasconi with 43 percent. Georgescu’s sudden rise has left Romania’s Western allies astounded, leading many analysts to speculate that Russian bots may have amplified his campaign on social media, a highly targeted and effective influence operation.
During an election monitoring summit in Malta, Blinken presented the West’s most explicit statement yet, asserting that Putin’s regime was the culprit. “Romanian authorities are discovering a large-scale and well-funded Russian effort to sway the recent presidential election,” he stated.
The prospect of Russian interference is particularly alarming for many in Romania, a country that was under Moscow’s oppressive rule for many years. “We fear becoming like Belarus, dominated by Russia,” expressed Andrei Buterez, a 29-year-old software engineer, attending the rally in Bucharest. Buterez believes that Georgescu’s supporters have been manipulated by the social media campaign, which he suggests has outside assistance.
However, Georgescu has garnered the support of millions of voters, both locally and internationally. His candidacy has caused divisions among friends and families. “It’s a chilling revelation,” commented Buterez.
Ioana Marussi, a fellow software engineer, believes Georgescu “resonates with those dissatisfied with the current political climate,” a significant potential audience in Romania. She suggests his solution is to revert the country to a time before World War II, a closed and far-right society.
Georgescu has expressed doubts about NATO operations in Romania and criticized ongoing support for Ukraine. He has pledged to dismantle Romania’s political party system, leading to accusations of plans for dictatorship.
His campaign has stirred up memories of Romania’s turbulent history under Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, and the violent 1989 revolution that toppled him. “I was 18 then and I could hear gunfire,” recalled Poderescu. “I experience that same fear today. We can’t return to those times.”
