They are Russia’s clowns in Romania / What we learned after Zelensky’s visit

Now we know, we’ve all seen them: George Simion, some of the AUR supporters, Diana Șoșoacă, and a few marginal trumpets from the press are openly playing Russia’s game. Don’t mince words. They are Putin’s clowns, the fifth column, the hatchet men, populists of unparalleled deceit. You can call them whatever you want, just not useful idiots. They know exactly what they’re doing.

These Facebook ‘patriots’, who daily feign concern for their homeland, always with Romania on their lips, betray it by working against its essential interest in remaining anchored to the Western world.

The visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to Romania served as a litmus test. On this occasion, we discerned who stands with the West and who opposes, who supports Ukraine and who backs Russia, who downplays Putin’s war of aggression, how weak or brave some of our governing politicians are, the vulnerabilities of certain Romanian state institutions, and the hypocrisy that runs rampant in much of the media.

With Diana Șoșoacă, a regular presence at the Russian Embassy, things have long been clear. However, George Simion and AUR still tried to deceive the public. They were all prepared to boycott the speech of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Parliament with revisionist messages, with maps of Greater Romania, with the absurd accusation that the Ukrainian president came to beg in Romania, and with tasteless jibes straight out of the Russian propaganda playbook.

To the group of intellectuals within AUR, led by Sorin Lavric and Claudiu Târziu, it must be said directly: don’t bother to glorify the legionary figures in Parliament or commemorate the so-called martyrs of communist prisons anymore. You are not even neo-legionnaires, but a sad collection of individuals burdened with complexes, clad in undershorts and tricolored shirts.

Your pro-Russian, anti-Western party, a magnet for many thugs and stadium misfits, is ready to plunge Romania back into darkness, just as the communists once did. You are no different from them.

Those who were deceived by these noisy nonentities, by these impostors wrapped in the tricolor, and still place their hopes in them, should not forget the days gone by: is this really what you want? To drag the country back into the shadow of Moscow?

How did the Romanian state respond to Russia’s clowns, set up to turn the day of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Romania into a national circus? They canceled the Ukrainian president’s speech in Parliament, aiming to sweep this political trash under the rug.

How do we know that Zelensky was scheduled to address Parliament? An internal memorandum indicated on the eve of the visit that the Ukrainian head of state was to arrive in Parliament at 5:00 PM to attend a joint session, as requested by the Presidential Administration, which organized Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Romania.

According to G4Media.ro, the person most apprehensive about the spectacle announced by Diana Șoșoacă and AUR parliamentarians, led by the extremist party leader George Simion, was the Senate President, Nicolae Ciucă. A great statesman, esteemed general, a man of integrity. The PNL leader did not want to take the risk of handling such an incident. This would have led to a revision of Zelensky’s agenda.

However, the Ukrainian president did visit the Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, where he met with the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber. Șoșoacă sat meekly in the corridors with her map in her arms, and AUR parliamentarians, led by Simion, completely vanished from the scene. It’s the best proof that these clowns can be kept in check when necessary, that their leash is rather short, and that the decision to cancel the speech was a mistake.

Denying a head of state the honor to speak in Parliament, to directly address the Romanian people in the primary institution that represents them, is simply shameful and humiliating. In almost all of his visits across Europe, with perhaps the exception of Bulgaria, Zelensky has delivered speeches in national parliaments, even when faced with hostile gestures, as was the case in Austria and Switzerland. But that’s what democracy looks like, and the Ukrainian president knows this all too well.

With this unfortunate episode, the Romanian state projected weakness, signaling to a war-engaged president and the world at large that it’s incapable of managing even a minor internal crisis. Symbolically, it was of utmost importance for the Romanian Parliament, which ultimately expresses the will of the people, to demonstrate its support for Ukraine and its president, as has been done in all Western countries.

At the press conference in Cotroceni, President Volodymyr Zelensky tried to save Romania’s face, justifying the absence of a parliamentary speech by saying he wasn’t prepared for it but would surely address the representatives next time. Zelensky essentially answered on behalf of [Romanian President] Iohannis, who seemed unable to provide a coherent response. The spontaneous reaction of the Ukrainian president is commendable; it once again showcased the demeanor of a true leader.

A few words about the behavior of the media, especially TV stations that heavily promote Diana Șoșoacă, George Simion & their cacophony from morning till night. Almost all of them, virtually without exception, criticized them like never before, despite often hosting them on their shows – notably Romania TV, Antena 3, and others. Suddenly, these outlets have recognized just how populist, extremist, provocative, and pro-Russian these politicians are, the very same ones they elevate daily by providing them a platform.

Now, after competing for interviews with Zelensky, it’ll be interesting to see what they’ll ask Simion and Șoșoacă when they invite them back to their studios.

Both the media and politicians from other parties should no longer fear Russia’s jesters. They shouldn’t shy away from confronting them and should tell them face-to-face who they really are.

Regarding the visit itself, there isn’t much to be said. It was time for it to happen, given all the efforts made by Romania to assist Ukraine – efforts that have been recognized and appreciated by all allies. Romania finally has a reason to be proud at this significant historical moment. It’s not Orban’s Hungary, the Trojan horse for Russia in the EU; it’s not unpredictable Poland or Bulgaria with its heart set on Moscow.

Romania has conducted itself impeccably in this conflict, as a dependable partner and ally. Here, the credit goes to President Iohannis and mainstream parties, with the exception of the extremist AUR party, for maintaining the right direction.

However, Romania still keeps under wraps the nature of the military assistance it provides to Ukraine, unlike other countries that publicly announce the types of weapons they send. Zelensky’s visit would have been a good opportunity to clarify these aspects. But it wasn’t to be.

The only hint lies in the declaration signed by the two presidents, stating that Ukraine is grateful for the significant assistance package in the defense domain. Additionally, President Zelensky mentioned something about artillery and anti-aircraft defense. Beyond that, it remains a mystery.

Lastly, the fact that the topic of the „so-called Moldovan language” and the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine were on the bilateral discussions’ agenda, and President Zelensky has promised that the Kiev government will meet in a week or two to address this issue, leaves Putin’s agents in Romania without a cause to champion.