'I am young and restless...'
an election-day interview with George Simion
The 39 year old leader of the far-right AUR party won 41% of the vote in the first round of the Romanian presidential election on Sunday. He goes into the 2nd round on 18 May with a clear advantage over the second placed, liberal mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, who got 21%. In this short BBC interview I asked him about Ukraine, Russia, the US, the EU, Hungary, and how he would describe himself.
You can find my BBC online report on the election outcome here.
Nick Thorpe
You used a phrase, the 'Simionisation' of Europe. What do you mean by that?
George Simion
I mean we, as Romanians, always wanted to be the good guy in the classroom. We did our homework for entering NATO and the European Union, even if we didn't enter NATO in 1999. We had patience, and we want to give a good example with the future leadership of conservative policies that work, that transform Romania and transform the European Union in the benefit of the citizens, and stop this madness at EU level with Green Deal, with cultural acceptance that are going nowhere.
Nick Thorpe
Have you softened your views of Ukraine? Have you hardened your views towards Moscow?
George Simion
No, actually, since I was in high school and university, I think in the same manner, Russia is the biggest danger towards Romania, Poland and the Baltic states. The problem is this war is not going anywhere. So I hope and pray that the peace talks organised by the Trump administration will result in ceasefire and in peace negotiations.
Nick Thorpe
If they don't, Mr. Trump has said he will turn his back. Romania cannot turn its back. You have a long border with Ukraine. Would you continue as President to help Ukraine export its grain?
George Simion
If they pay taxes and if they respect all international treaties regarding, for example, national minorities, that they don't respect right now, of course we will be partners with our neighbouring countries including Ukraine. I have a positive attitude towards them, but they must understand that we are not in the Soviet Union anymore, and they should not behave as Russians.
With Mircea Barbu, on camera
Nick Thorpe
Should Romania continue to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots?
George Simion
For the good of the regional and world peace it is our priority not to invest more in tanks, in weapons, in military procedures, but in peace negotiations. This war is not going anywhere. So I do not agree with investing in other nations. I will invest in my own nation, in my own army. This is the sure way we will get security, by having a strong Romanian army inside NATO that must remain a defensive alliance.
Nick Thorpe
Do you have a message to Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
George Simion
Please recognise the Romanian churches and the Romanian schools in Ukraine, and you will have a partner in me, with or without a suit.
Watching the exit polls come in
Nick Thorpe
Should Europe fear you?
George Simion
Europe should understand that the population in all 27 member states want a change, want to return to common sense and want to stop these crazy policies of the EU current chief of commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Of course, EU bureaucrats may be scared of me, but I don't have plans to wage wars. I only have the plans in a political field to have victories, (at) home and abroad and to have a majority in the future Council.
Nick Thorpe
What is your message to all the Romanians today who have not voted for you?
George Simion
I respect them. I will be a president, also for them. And it is time to find the middle way. It is time to have a dialogue.
Nick Thorpe
In one word, how would you describe yourself? Are you a nationalist? Who are you?
George Simion
I am young and restless. I am a Romanian patriot that all his life ... dreamt of being part of the free world, and now we discovered that the free world is not that free anymore. So we will have our contribution to having a free world composed of as many countries as possible.
Voting station on the edge of Bucharest
Nick Thorpe
Another minority in Romania, the Hungarians, fear you. What is your message to the Hungarians of Romania and to Viktor Orban in Budapest?
George Simion
Things that Viktor Orban is talking about sometimes - changing borders and quarrels that happen over things that happened 1000 years ago are not relevant. We should unite forces and fight illegal migration, tackle with demographic problems, tackle with wokeness and other Neo-Marxist ideologies that will do much harm to Romanians and Hungarians. (Whether) we want it or not, we are living in the same land. We are sharing the same country and neighbouring countries. So we must forge a future together.
Nick Thorpe
And finally in the second round, how confident are you that you can win?
George Simion
The only thing I hope for is fair and free elections. It is up to the Romanian people to decide if they want to vote a sovereignist or a globalist.
