Romania was, is, and will be their country

“35 years ago, Romanians stood up for their right to choose their own destiny. Many gave their lives so their children could live in freedom and democracy. Today, Romania and Europe remember their sacrifice,” Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on December 22, marking the revolution that overthrew dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.

She penned an emotional platitude at the worst moment for Romania. The foundation of democracy—free elections and voting—has just been annulled. It’s not the first time Brussels bureaucrats have shown how disconnected they are from reality.

35 years after the fall of communism, Romania has failed as a democratic state. A political-military kleptocracy has seized power. No one has been held accountable for the disastrous electoral outcomes.

We now have an illegitimate president, Klaus Iohannis, whose mandate was arbitrarily extended by an abusive Constitutional Court. We have an illegitimate government led by Marcel Ciolacu, who came third in the presidential elections, under whose leadership the PSD (Social Democratic Party) recorded the worst results in its history.

As Prime Minister, Ciolacu increased public spending, ballooned the deficit and public debt, stuffed the state apparatus with political appointees, and postponed essential reforms. Under his administration, the state apparatus reached a record number of employees—the highest since 2009: over 1.3 million, in an era of supposed digitalization.

The coalition of parties (PSD and PNL) feigned political competition during the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections while enabling the rise of Romanian extremism. Russian interference in the December 2024 elections mirrored the „terrorists” of 1989—everyone talks about them, but no one has ever seen them.

To complete the picture of disaster, this illegitimate power bloc has proposed Crin Antonescu, a deeply anti-democratic figure, as the sole presidential candidate.

For younger readers: Antonescu shattered Romanian democracy in 2012 by orchestrating a coup against then-president Traian Băsescu. Alongside Victor Ponta, he co-authored a political crisis that alarmed Romania’s strategic partners.

It is becoming clearer what transpired during the December 2024 presidential elections. PSD and PNL used every illicit tactic to secure the presidency, unleashing societal demons of extremism that spiraled out of control.

Marcel Ciolacu (PSD) ensured that extremist AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians) leader George Simion advanced to the second round. To pave the way, the Constitutional Court eliminated Diana Șoșoacă from the race. Nicolae Ciucă (PNL), realizing his dwindling chances, backed Călin Georgescu as a spoiler to dilute Simion’s vote share. Investigations by Snoop.ro revealed links between Georgescu’s campaign and PNL.

The reckless maneuvers of PSD and PNL not only fueled extremism but also allowed far-right parties to secure a combined 32% in parliament.

In the aftermath of this chaos, unseen forces behind PSD and PNL blamed the fiasco on alleged Russian interference, forcing the annulment of the first round of elections. Leading candidates Călin Georgescu (an “independent”) and Elena Lasconi (USR’s candidate) were disqualified, leaving no democratic resolution in sight.

Romania’s Broken Democratic Institutions

Under a functioning democracy, Romania would today have an interim president (the Senate President) and a provisional government organizing new elections. Instead, an illegitimate president has appointed a politically defeated figure to lead the government again. This government now seeks to install its chosen candidate, Crin Antonescu, as president to perpetuate its control.

The cycle is complete: USL 3.0 (a political coalition) prepares to reign, manipulated by the same shadowy forces that have ruled Romania for 30 years.

The core tragedy is that little has changed in Romania’s power structures since the fall of communism. The country remains governed by a militarized democracy, where a small elite rotates through political offices while true power lies elsewhere. Intelligence services wield such political and economic clout that they now dictate presidential candidates. Their economic interests extend abroad, making investments worth tens of millions of euros.

Though EU membership has poured funds into Romania, transforming its infrastructure, the state remains dysfunctional. Democratic institutions of checks and balances exist only on paper. Romania has preserved a pre-1989 architecture of vertical power, abuse, and a “soft dictatorship.”

A Church Without Faith

Integrated into the EU and NATO, Romania resembles an empty church: its walls are polished with gold, but void of spirit. Politicians lack ideological conviction, flip-flopping between nationalism and Europeanism solely to maintain power. While professing patriotism, they revel in luxury, vacation in exclusive resorts abroad, and serve as mere fronts for a subterranean power system.

For the first time in 35 years, I see no perspective for Romania. My generation has failed to create a better world for its children. Many have emigrated; others have resigned to apathy. As a journalist, I struggle to find motivation. Writing feels futile when nothing seems to matter.

I cannot lie to you. I cannot offer false hope. I’m profoundly sorry. For years, my guiding principle as a journalist was “Not a step back.” But recently, I wondered if it was time to step aside. Perhaps I no longer understand the world I live in, or perhaps it has changed beyond recognition.

Despite everything, one thing remains clear: the dream of those who rose in December 1989—of dying to be free, of choosing their own destiny—has been shattered. Today, their children rule over ours. Romania was, is, and will be—for an indeterminate future—their country.