Anti-NATO candidate Călin Georgescu’s surprise first-round victory in Romania’s presidential elections shouldn’t be interpreted as a shift in Romanian-Ukrainian relations, according to Eusebiu Slavitescu, former European diplomat and counselor to Romania’s State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, in an exclusive interview with Euromaidan Press.

The 24 November election produced unexpected results, with Georgescu securing 22.94% of the vote, surpassing established politicians despite his controversial stance on NATO’s missile defense system in Romania, which he called “a shame of diplomacy,” and his praise of Putin as “a patriot.”

“Romania remains strongly pro-Ukrainian. When Russia started its illegal and brutal war, people rushed to the border, brought food, and waited to help. There were more people at the border than Ukrainian refugees. We also gave Ukraine the Patriot system, which is quite a big deal,” Slavitescu explained.

The 62-year-old former UN consultant ran an unconventional campaign centered on TikTok, surprisingly penetrating rural and older demographics traditionally considered less active on social media.

“I’d say it was more of a victory of the TikTok algorithms than anything else. The man didn’t campaign physically, attended only a few TV shows, and didn’t even use Facebook. Apparently, it was enough,” Slavitescu noted.

The outcome holds significant implications for Ukraine. With its 400-mile shared border, Romania provides crucial support through NATO facilities, Patriot systems, and grain transit routes. Georgescu’s advocacy for “Russian wisdom” and ambiguous stance on Russia’s invasion raises concerns despite avoiding explicit pro-Russian positions.

While Romania’s presidency is largely ceremonial, its influence on foreign policy makes this potential shift particularly worrying for Western allies.

The 8 December runoff will pit Georgescu against pro-Western candidate Elena Lasconi, who secured 19.18% of the first-round vote.

Read more:

• “Ignore the electoral noise: Georgescu’s TikTok triumph signals nothing about Ukraine,” says Romanian ex-diplomat
• Pro-Russian candidate leads first round in Romania presidential race
• Today’s Romanian election could reverse country’s support for Ukraine
• Ukraine repels Russia’s attack involving 50 drones, 4 missiles; two UAVs again breach Romania airspace
• Romania delivers Patriot missile-defense system to Ukraine