'People Want Change': Inside Romania's Far-right Stronghold

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published December 06, 2024 | 12:40 PM

Mihai Viteazu, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Dec, 2024) In the Romanian village of Mihai Viteazu, where far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu performed particularly well in the first-round election in which he stormed to a surprise lead, businessman Ciprian Gavrila explained why.

"People are saying 'Stop', they want change," Gavrila said at his bar, diagnosing the mood heading into a run-off Sunday that is being closely watched for a change in political direction in the EU and NATO member, which borders Ukraine.

"The parties in power for so many years have deceived and fooled us," said the 43-year-old, a member of the extreme-right SOS Romania party, which entered parliament following legislative elections last Sunday.

In Mihai Viteazu, SOS Romania and two other far-right parties combined won nearly 65 percent of the parliamentary vote, the country's highest score.

Georgescu also got one of his best results in the village of 3,000 people in the first-round vote on November 24, topping the constituency with 45.5 percent of the vote, compared to almost 23 percent nationwide.

Georgescu will face centrist Elena Lasconi in Sunday's run-off.

Liberal mayor Adrian Costache said Georgescu's landslide win in his village came as a "surprise" to him.

"People want to see if others are more capable in developing the country", which ranks among the poorest in the European Union, he told AFP.