The grin of Putin: how Călin Georgescu plans to remove Romania from NATO and the EU and what Romania can do about it

The satisfied grin of Vladimir Putin and the threat from Alexander Dugin (a prominent Russian nationalist and ideologue) have stamped Russia’s mark on Călin Georgescu. Viewed by many as merely eccentric and anti-establishment, Georgescu is, in reality, an existential threat to Romania. With ties to pro-Russian Serbia and covert couriers traveling the Belgrade route, Călin Georgescu pursues three clear objectives: withdrawing from NATO, exiting the EU, and establishing a one-party dictatorship. The Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) must now publicly disclose whether it has evidence of Georgescu’s potential links to dictatorial regimes in Russia and China.

In June 2024, Călin Georgescu stated explicitly on TVR3 (a Romanian state television channel) that he would pull Romania out of NATO. “Regarding NATO, if things continue like this, it’s clear we’re not interested. Why stay in a club that doesn’t provide security?” Yesterday, he reiterated this stance in a video, claiming, “We’ve relied too much on others, and that’s where our problems began. On others’ armies, others’ food, others’ economies. This must stop immediately.” His half-hearted retraction serves only as an electoral maneuver to calm panicked voters.

The message is clear and unequivocal. If elected to lead the country, Călin Georgescu would initiate a process of severing ties with NATO and the U.S. For Romania, Georgescu’s proposed neutrality means, in practice, falling into Russia’s grasp. Without the military support of allies, Romania would withstand any potential hybrid or conventional attack far less effectively than Ukraine. And without NATO membership, no one would lift a finger to help us.

Leaving the EU

Exiting the EU is another of Georgescu’s objectives. He continuously invokes sovereignty and alleged submission to Brussels, perpetuating a baseless narrative despite the undeniable evidence that EU membership has brought Romania unprecedented prosperity.

Outside the EU, Romania would become another Belarus. Leaving the EU would mean humiliating queues for visas to Spain, Italy, or France. It would mean a return to grim, gray stores, shortages of food, clothing, and cosmetics. It would mean widespread unemployment, as investors shut down production facilities en masse due to the import taxes that would come into effect after leaving the Union.

A Dictatorship Without Parties

Georgescu’s most extreme rhetoric surfaced in April 2024 at the Neamț Monastery, where he openly declared: “There will be no political parties in this country, none.” Thirty-five years after the revolution against the Communist Party—the country’s sole party—this individual seeks the presidency with the promise of abolishing all political parties.

This rhetoric echoes the message of the fascist Iron Guard in the 1920s and 1930s, which used political assassinations to dismantle parties. With his hypnotic, carefully honed rhetoric, Georgescu revives the totalitarian insanity of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (the leader of the Iron Guard movement in interwar Romania).

When pressed by journalists to clarify his anti-constitutional stances, Călin Georgescu refuses dialogue. The mystery of his support base deepens. There is widespread speculation about reservists from former communist-era intelligence services and the military working for him. Legitimate concerns have been raised about possible connections to Russian and Chinese actors, especially since Georgescu himself admitted meeting Alexander Dugin.

CSAT’s Role

One institution has the power to shed light on this matter: the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT). Last week, CSAT convened at Cotroceni Palace (the Romanian President’s official residence) to discuss Călin Georgescu’s case. If CSAT possesses relevant information about the candidate’s links to Moscow and Beijing, it is essential to declassify it through legal procedures, as already requested by two journalists.

Romanians have the right to know if a candidate is taking orders from outside the country. As a NATO and EU member state, Romania cannot jeopardize these affiliations by placing someone with significant questions about their loyalty at the helm.