Lies and delirium: Pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu’s supermarket boycott built on blatant falsehoods

Pro-Russian presidential candidate Călin Georgescu has launched yet another attack filled with falsehoods against the European Union and foreign companies, urging his supporters to boycott supermarkets and foreign corporations on February 10. In a video posted on social media, Georgescu claimed that supermarkets declared zero profit in 2023 and introduced self-checkout systems to eliminate cashier jobs.

Georgescu used the alleged „zero profit” claim as a pretext for his attack on supermarkets. However, data from Termene.ro, a business analytics platform, contradicts his claims. In reality, the French-owned Carrefour chain reported a 249 million lei profit in 2023, Lidl Discount posted a profit exceeding 1 billion lei, Kaufland recorded 864 million lei in profit, and Mega Image had 218 million lei in profits.

„Large multinationals declare zero profit because they export their earnings,” Georgescu falsely asserted, despite official data from Romania’s Ministry of Finance confirming that supermarket chains collectively reported over 2 billion lei in profits in 2023 alone.

It is also important to note that, beyond corporate income tax, these companies contribute to various other taxes, including health and pension fund contributions, business operation permits, and local taxes.

Regarding self-checkout systems, Georgescu misrepresented a global retail trend. Fast-track checkout systems, where customers scan their own items, are common in supermarkets worldwide.

A Religious Justification for the Boycott

Georgescu also offered a religious justification for choosing February 10 as the date for the boycott.

Once again, he weaponized religion in his political messaging, claiming that February 10 marks the feast of Saint Haralambos, whom he described as “the saint of abundance, who protects against shortages and famine and brings prosperity to families.”

Georgescu’s Anti-Western Rhetoric and Putin Admiration

Călin Georgescu has built his political message around constant attacks on the EU and NATO, promoting conspiracy theories and scientific misinformation, while openly expressing admiration for Russia and Vladimir Putin.

He has publicly stated his intent to isolate Romania from the European Union and NATO and has even proposed abolishing all political parties in the country.