Fear and anger as a “battle for the soul of Romanian democracy”

The Romanian village of Pony has several stores, a kebab grill and a packet of stray dogs.

In addition, there are quite a few voters who wanted a far -right candidate to become president.

Pony, just over an hour by car from the capital, is not alone in this.

Last November, Kalin George – who admires Vladimir Putin and is not a NATO fan – he came from the extremist border to win the first round of Romania’s presidential election with 23% of the vote.

At Pony, he did even better, with 24%.

The Constitutional Court then overturned all elections in an unprecedented move, citing intelligence that Georgiscus’s online campaign was reinforced by Russia.

In a pony, a young voter called these claims “lies” angry with the canceled vote. “They had to let him run to see what would happen,” Maria said.

A new vote will be held in May, but Georgescu is prohibited by participation.

In Bucharest supporters who came out on the street, the judges were destroying democracy. A handful was briefly confronted with police using tear gas.

Now nationalist politician George Simion has entered the race and is strongly questioned.

Many Romanians are afraid of the basic European values ​​of their country and its global unions are still in danger.

“We are in the middle of the battle of ideas. We have no opportunities here,” is that an activist of democracy describes the mood. “The battle is now.”

In the village of Pony, there is less about values ​​and of Russian intervention, more about the money in their pockets. Or more recently the lack of that.

To the side of the main road, where traffic alternates between heavy trucks and horses and carts, men buy charred pieces of kebab and retirees chat on dusty benches.

A metal public telephone box is bent with shape, with its sign hanging, as may have been years.

The income here is small, prices are climbing and life is difficult, as in much of Romania.

“I want Georgescu to straighten everyone. They cheated on us. We were promised more retirement money,” a middle-aged woman spoke quietly, after which she became bolder. “Others have done nothing for us here!”

In the village store, Ionla is just as disturbed.

“Young people finish college here and they can’t get a job, so they go abroad. It’s not normal. We need our young people to have places here to work,” she complains from the store’s counter.

Millions of Romanians work elsewhere in the EU and send money to home to their families. At Poeni you can see where part of this is, in all semi -adult new homes.

The whole family of Jonel voted for Georgescu. He promised to reduce the taxes, according to her, but she did not seem to have registered her final right ideology.

A person who praised extremist figures from Romania’s past is now under an investigation into dubious links to a group with “fascist, racist or xenophobic characteristics.”

After questioning, the politician was filmed, giving a congratulations to the fascist style.

Other peasants in Pony saw this and knew everything about the murky characters with whom Georgiscu was connected.

Hearing his name, a pensioner grabs his crutch and carries it like a machine gun, shouting that he is dangerous.

Another told me that people are suspicious of someone who has focused on fame from nothing and his focus on sovereignty over the economic meaning.

“He tells us that we don’t need Europe to help us with money. So how will we live? Let’s admit: Europe feeds us!” She says.

Romania’s voting has become a topic of conversations far beyond the streets of Pony or even Bucharest.

When US Vice President JD Vance shocked Europe with a speech in Munich, claiming that the EU’s most big threat comes from within and not from Russia, he quoted Romania several times.

He declares that the country’s election has been canceled by “unclear suspicions” under “enormous pressure” by the EU. Then Elon Musk struck the court as “crazy” at X.

Moscow would enjoy it.

Russia’s foreign intelligence has fully agreed with the United States that the “liberal mainstream” in Europe suppresses disagreement.

This from an authoritarian mode.

“This is the new world we live in.

For him, the cancellation of the presidential election was not only constitutionally but also justified.

“We live through a hybrid war, democracy is under pressure,” he said. The threat is real.

But Romania, which borders Ukraine and hosts a large NATO base, now has to deal with the hostility of the United States.

“This is a dramatic change. America is our ally, the largest and most important security provider for Romania,” Ion Ionis said. “We need this partnership to continue and be stronger.

“People are worried.”

For Florin Buhukeanu, the dispute is not only political – it’s personal.

His apartment, a modernist gem, is a mini museum “dedicated to gay memory”.

On one wall there is a large photo from the 30s of the arrest of three gay men. In the next room is a wooden cabinet, which once shows Romanian memorials from the fascist era in an antique shop. Now it contains pictures of gay icons.

Romania only decriminalized homosexuality in 2001.

“No State Museum would take such donations,” Florin says, so he and his partner show the exhibits at home for invited guests.

A prominent LGBT activist, he had so many threats in the midst of this election campaign that the security services had warned him to be careful.

Even when Georgu disappears as quickly as it appears, the atmosphere is febrile.

George Simion, now considered a championship, has been investigated after calling for the election to be “surrounded alive” because of the ban on Georgecu from the race.

He describes his nationalist Aur as a “Patriotic Party with a conservative nature”, whose pillars are “Faith, Nation, Family and Freedom.”

The LGBT Mozaiq Rights Group has warned of a jump in anti -Semitic, racist and homophobic rhetoric in recent weeks. He had to warn police after posting on social media calling on attacks on his office.

Thus, Florin Buchukeanu fear his country is returning to the past.

“Before 2001, it was absolutely impossible for us to breathe. Now we hear the same rhetoric over and over again,” he says.

Even worse, the US, Russia and the Romanian are currently coinciding.

“Obviously, our rights are fragile and the world regroups, so we have to continue this battle,” the activist warns. “This is not just about our community. This is for the soul of Romanian democracy.”