George Simion, the candidate of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians in the presidential elections in May, hopes for a „Romania in which we remain not out of obligation, but out of conviction”, which is why his country project is „Romania that calls its children home”.
In an interview with AGERPRES, George Simion stated that he re-entered the electoral race because Romanians need a president who can restore their trust and dignity.
According to the candidate, „the most important element of foreign policy must be the NATO defensive alliance.”
„Certainly, at the international level, we were once peace promoters and we must become peacemakers again. The most important element of foreign policy must be the NATO defensive alliance, and from a strategic point of view, I believe that Romania needs a balanced foreign policy, the Strategic Partnership with the United States, privileged relations with neighbors and a clear, strong voice in the European Union,” pointed out George Simion.
AGERPRES: Why are you running for president in the May elections? What was the strongest reason that led you to re-enter the electoral race?
George Simion: I am running because Romanians have been betrayed. We are in an exceptional situation, close to the edge of the abyss and we must not fall into it. Romanians need a president who will restore their trust and dignity. We cannot wait another five years and we must recover from this crisis.
AGERPRES: You are coming on a path left free by Calin Georgescu. Do you have his support in the elections? Many people are wondering why he is not appearing alongside you in the campaign. Have you spoken to Mr. Georgescu yet?
George Simion: I respect Mr. Călin Georgescu and our mission and the reason for my entry, together with Anamaria Gavrilă (POT leader – ed. n), into the electoral competition is to continue the „Romania First” movement, built by him. In the same vision, a sovereign, dignified Romania, rebuilt on its values. Of course we have spoken and we respect each other. Mr. Georgescu is a man of honor and we are going exactly according to the plan he thought of.
AGERPRES: In the last 35 years, our country projects have been Romania in NATO, Romania in the European Union, Romania – educated. What is your country project?
George Simion: Unfortunately, after 35 years we have to regain fundamental issues – democracy, freedom. It is surprising, but it seems that the fight for freedom is continuous and it is the duty of each generation to fight for freedom. My country project is Romania that calls its children home. A Romania in which we should stay not out of obligation, but out of conviction. I know that this can be done because we see the Polish model of the president of the European party to which I belong and of which I am the vice-president – the European Conservatives and Reformists Party. Mr. Mateusz Morawiescki, during his seven years of successive terms as prime minister, managed to bring back over 500,000 Poles to Poland. We will follow exactly the same recipe, we do not have to reinvent the wheel.
AGERPRES: What will be the first three measures you will take in the first 100 days of your mandate?
George Simion: Returning to democracy, the vote of the Romanians must be respected, only in this way can we have a democracy and not a dictatorship. Restoring the rule of law, the freedom of expression of the Romanians must be respected and the abuses of the institutions of force against the Romanians must be stopped. And not only of the institutions of force, because there are many institutions that commit abuses and simply mock the citizens. Bringing to light the truth behind the annulment of the elections. The votes of over 9 million Romanians were annulled, without justification. Romanians deserve respect and have the right to know why the elections were annulled.
AGERPRES: What kind of foreign policy will you pursue in the next five years for Romania? In the last 35 years, we have had the Bucharest – London – Washington axis, then the revitalization of relations with the Arab countries, then the consolidation of relations with the EU and NATO member states, strategic partnerships. For you, what is the most important element of foreign policy?
George Simion: Certainly, internationally we were once peacemakers and we must become peacemakers again. The most important element of foreign policy must be the NATO defensive alliance, and from a strategic point of view I believe that Romania needs a balanced foreign policy, the Strategic Partnership with the United States, privileged relations with its neighbors and a clear, strong voice in the European Union.
AGERPRES: You frequently talk about sovereignty. How do you define national sovereignty without isolating Romania from its essential strategic partnerships – the EU and NATO?
George Simion: I do not believe that at the moment of our accession to the European Union, which means a common economic space, an alliance, first and foremost, economic, we were forced to give up Article 1 of the Constitution, which talks about sovereignty. Sovereignty should be assumed by all political actors, but, unfortunately, it is not and the electoral competitors in this campaign have successively given up elements of national sovereignty. Sovereignty means deciding for yourself, but with your head held high, in any alliance and in any partnership. Not isolation, but mutual respect in the relations we have with partners and allies.
AGERPRES: To what extent do you still support the unionist project with the Republic of Moldova, considering that you recently lost the trial with former Moldovan minister Anatol Salaru, who accused you of meeting with Moscow agents. In addition, you are banned from entering Moldovan territory.
George Simion: A small correction: the territory is not Moldovan and I do not believe in the existence of a Moldovan nation. We would only be legitimizing the historical falsehood fabricated by Stalin. I believe in unification more than ever. Unification is not done with trials, it is done with trust, patience and a common vision. Yes, I will continue to support it, it is the only way to ensure the well-being and security of our brothers across the Prut. Not money thrown away in vain, which only serves to consolidate a state that is often hostile to its own citizens and to Romania.
AGERPRES: If the Republic of Moldova were attacked, what measure would you take as head of the Romanian state?
George Simion: I would immediately open the borders. I would appeal to all our allies and partners to support the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. I would urgently convene the CSAT and other key institutions of the Romanian state, such as the ISU, to intervene from a humanitarian point of view. As you well know, we are part of a military alliance. I would speak and then take steps, including through physical presence, in important capitals such as London, Washington, Warsaw, for a common position. But as you well know, we are part of a defensive military alliance, NATO, an alliance that provides for military interventions only with the consent of the allies and provides for the activation of Article 5 only in the event that a member country of the NATO alliance is affected. This is not the case now. That is precisely why I said publicly that we cannot get involved militarily, given the current situation. I have been a convinced unionist all my life and I will remain so as long as God gives me. And from this point of view, I convey the same message that I have conveyed since high school to all citizens of the Republic of Moldova, regardless of ethnicity: the solution is for a majority of citizens of the Republic of Moldova to demand reunification with the country and in this way they will be protected and will be with us under the NATO security umbrella.
AGERPRES: Is a reform of the country’s Fundamental Law necessary and in what chapters do you consider it necessary? Do you consider the reform of the Constitutional Court necessary and how do you see this possible?
George Simion: Unlike other opinions in the public space, I see the Romanian Constitution with good eyes and I do not believe that it needs to be reformed from the ground up. Of course, small adjustments can be made to adapt it to today’s reality, but, from the point of view of national sovereignty, we still have issues and from the point of view of citizens’ rights and freedoms, the Romanian Constitution protects us. The CCR, on the other hand, did not defend the Constitution and can no longer be a political actor, but must once again become the guarantor of political balance. People who are not judges and are not part of the legal system should definitely not be appointed as members of the Constitutional Court.
AGERPRES: Romania is suffering from a deep crisis in terms of human capital. What concrete public policies do you propose for the repatriation of the diaspora and stopping the migration of young people?
George Simion: Reducing labor taxation is essential, it is vital. We are the country that taxes labor the most in all of Europe, at the minimum wage level. Instead of encouraging work, we block any chance of development. With the current tax system, it is impossible for this to happen. I reject the continued, medium and long-term, bringing of emigrants from third countries. The solution is the return of Romanians home, which is why I propose a „tax shield” for Romanians in the diaspora, massive investments in industry and education, which would create well-paid jobs and an increasingly large production in Romania, and I also propose a national pact for young people. I believe that a Muncă.ro portal, where all companies can popularize and publicly announce their job offers, a portal that can be promoted in all Romanian communities in the diaspora, would make it possible for a significant number of Romanians to return to the country. We have Romanians working in agriculture in Germany, in southern Italy, in southern Spain, we have caretakers in Austria and the famous badante in Italy. These people are needed in 2025 on the Romanian labor market, at similar salaries and where there are no similar salaries, for example in the construction sector, we can return to the former so-called tax facilities. We will just have to properly popularize this portal and these jobs. I no longer believe in the viability of institutions that today only create bureaucracy, ANOFM (National Agency for Employment – ed.), AJOFM, we need a bureaucratic simplification, we need to reduce regulations and many of the institutions at the local and central level.
AGERPRES: During this period, you lost two important people from the party – Claudiu Târziu and George Becali. Is the party still united?
George Simion: The party is more united than ever, we are a team of people determined to change Romania and we have millions of Romanians with us who believe in us and have asked us not to disown Călin Georgescu. Those who wanted to disown Călin Georgescu automatically placed themselves outside the party and are now permanent guests on pro-government television stations. After George Simion is no longer a candidate or when they no longer mention George Simion’s name, no one will call them on any television station.
AGERPRES: Last year the elections were canceled. How do you think things will unfold this time? Do you think there will be a fair and democratic electoral process this time?
George Simion: The moment you, as the Government, organize the elections, violate fundamental electoral rules and do not respect democratic principles and still lose, you show your own inability to achieve results. They organized the elections, not Călin Georgescu and not AUR who lost them. You ask me if they will repeat this abusive cancellation and if they will accept the democratic transition of power and if they will accept the will of the Romanians… It remains to be seen. Our position is clear. In the opinion of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, on December 6th a blow was dealt to democracy, a blow that continued by prohibiting Mr. Călin Georgescu from participating in the repeated elections.
AGERPRES: Romania is currently being visited by an important delegation from the United States. If you were president, what would you ask for, what would you offer, and where would you draw a clear line in the bilateral relationship?
George Simion: We, AUR, are the natural, ideological correspondents of the current administration in Washington and of the MAGA movement, led by President Donald Trump. We have a much more consistent dialogue than the current rulers with our counterparts in the United States. Any bilateral relationship must be based on respect, but of course you must respect some principles in order to be respected. Our partners in the United States value democracy, free and fair elections, and we will be involved from the public positions we hold and will hold in the future to maintain this partnership, which, of course, also implied the elimination of visas for Romanians. Visas were not eliminated because the elections were canceled.
AGERPRES: What message do you have for your voters? What kind of president will you be?
George Simion: I will be a president of the Romanians, not of the parties, of those who have been forgotten, humiliated and expelled. A president who listens, does not dictate. A president for all, regardless of ideological orientation.
AGERPRES
