Concerned about the rise of the far right in Romania, several thousand demonstrators gathered on Saturday, March 15, in Bucharest's Victory Square, to proclaim their loyalty to the European Union (EU) and their rejection of the country's far-right tide. Parties known for provocations and hate speech have been gaining ground in recent years, rising from 9% of the vote in the 2020 parliamentary elections to 32% of the vote in those from 2024.

With an EU flag in her hand, Andra, 28, said he had felt "a great sense of relief" since far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, a fervent critic of the EU and NATO and an admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was barred from running in the next presidential election, scheduled for May 4. Razvan, 21, shared the sentiment. "The invalidation of Georgescu's candidacy is justified, because he supports the fascist Legionnaires movement, which is modeled on the one affiliated with the Nazis during the Second World War in Romania. What's more, his campaign financing wasn't transparent, and he is subservient to Moscow. This man is dangerous."

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