To the north of us, in neighboring Romania, the state has been waging war against a political leader for several months now - Calin Georgescu. Initially, the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the presidential elections won by the aforementioned Georgescu. Yes, but the same guy decided to run again, his rating was still high, so the police had to arrest him on his way to the Central Electoral Bureau. And although he eventually managed to submit his documents, the Romanian CEC denied him registration. The latter caused unrest in the capital, Bucharest, where Georgescu's supporters protested violently against the electoral body's decision. And the candidate is contesting the decision. He also challenges the restrictive measures imposed on him by the court due to the charges brought against him, which include both submitting false information for financing an election campaign, and membership in a fascist organization and manifestations of anti-Semitism.
It seems that Calin Georgescu is a serious problem for the political status quo (or establishment, if that sounds better to you) in Romania. So serious that several units of the state machine are engaged in dealing with him. And the way in which Georgescu is being acted upon seems unprecedented for an EU country and is more reminiscent of pre-election "practices" by Russia, Belarus and Venezuela.
Here I would like to clarify that I do not feel sympathy for the politician Calin Georgescu, but strong suspicion. First of all, because behind his candidacy are Romanian political circles that have made claims to Southern Dobruja. And only then because of some of his "extravagant", conspiratorial or downright contradictory political positions - such as the combination of admiration for both "Russian wisdom" and for the World War II dictator, the Russophobe Ion Antonescu. But what is happening to him is beyond any democratic decency.
Yes, preventing an "inconvenient" candidate from the electoral process is part of politics. But it is not part of democratic politics and cannot be part of "European values". And here comes the even more scandalous moment.
When the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the presidential elections, it initially seemed that the arguments for foreign interference and hybrid Russian interference in the electoral process were well-founded. The decision was made unanimously and given that the constitutional judges have different political backgrounds, therefore their arguments will be legal, not political. Well, yes, but later it turned out that the decision was made under strong external pressure, which was admitted by... former European Commissioner Thierry Breton. Who almost directly said that Brussels pressured Bucharest to remove Georgescu. And at the moment, the European leadership is looking with satisfaction at the obstacles facing the far-right Romanian politician. In general, very democratic, very European...
And according to the decision of the Central Electoral Bureau of Romania, Calin Georgescu "does not defend democracy" in the country. And therefore he should not be allowed to participate in the elections. Words are powerless here.
In reality, what has been happening in Romania in recent months is a classic "trap" of democracy. The democratic system carries this risk - someone who "does not defend democracy" may come to power in a completely democratic way. Or is downright dangerous for it. But the successful way to counteract it is definitely not the one that the Romanian authorities and their European partners are resorting to.
It is clearly necessary to remind them that democracy is based on institutions, so that it does not have to depend on the individual specificities of one or another person. If Calin Georgescu is harmful and dangerous for democracy, Romania, Europe and world peace, he can (and should) be held accountable by the relevant institutions. To be put on trial (for undermining the constitutional order, for treason or for whatever there is evidence of) and convicted. In this way, he will be legitimately eliminated from politics. But it is not the job of the Romanian CEC to remove him just because he "doesn't like it".
And even if Georgescu is "officially" removed from the presidential elections, what do we do with his numerous supporters? They will not stop sympathizing with him, on the contrary - it is possible that some hesitant ones will become his staunch supporters. In general, how do the elites in Bucharest and Brussels imagine him?
In practice, the main accusation against Calin Georgescu is that he is pursuing an anti-European line. Which certainly has grounds, but it turns out that the actions against him harm the European cause much more than he does himself.
Efforts to politically eliminate Georgescu would be crowned with success in countries like Russia and Belarus. But in societies accustomed to democracy and civil rights, such actions come back to haunt the perpetrators.
And since it has been said that the "shooting" of Calin Georgescu was to a large extent inspired by Brussels, it should be noted that self-forgetfulness and a break with reality are spreading at the top of the European Union. This is also evident from a recent position that strongly condemns the attacks of "pro-Assad forces" in Syria against government units - given that the "pro-Assad forces" in question (in reality, religious minorities) are victims of mass murders by the jihadists who came to power.
In this vein, it is no surprise that Elon Musk called what is happening in Romania "madness". And before him, J.D. Vance criticized the Europeans in Munich, giving an example precisely with the Romanian case.
In the end, neither the Kremlin nor the new administration in the White House managed to create as much anti-European sentiment as the (pro)European political factors themselves. And in Romania, but not only.
And in our country, some people insisted on "judicial reform on the Romanian model"...