Election Bureau: Opposition to Romania’s membership of the EU and NATO makes a candidate unfit to stand in the presidential election

After rejecting the candidacy of Calin Georgescu, who came first in the cancelled presidential election in November and stands at 40% in the polls, on Saturday Romania’s Central Election Bureau went on to reject the candidacy of a another right-wing "sovereignist" politician, Diana Sosoaca. The decision was upheld by the Constitutional Court (CCR).

According to the Associated Press:

The CCR argued that her public discourse, including opposition to Romania’s European Union and NATO memberships, made her unfit to uphold the constitutional obligations of the presidency.

So there we have it. It's undemocratic for candidates to stand for president who oppose Romania belonging to the EU or Nato.

Two sovereignist candidates were allowed to stand. They say that one will stand down in favour of the other but do not say which. A poll shows that whichever of the two stands will win the first round of the presidential election with 30% of the vote but be defeated in the second round by the anti-system independent Mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan.

Had the court not cancelled the November election I think the runner up in the first round, Elena Lasconi, would have won. She belongs to an anti-system (but pro-EU and Nato) reform party, USR, which was outside the political establishment. She objected to the cancelation (as did other candidates) because it was undemocratic but she must also have been convinced she had been denied the presidency.

The last president, Klaus Iohannis "the hotel doorman" (Tom Gallagher) was completely useless. 

He is responsible for wrecking the duopoly of the two main parties, the National Liberals and the (ex-Communist) Social Democrats, by persuading them to govern in coalition.  

It's a bit like what will happen in Germany and France.

Eventually the sovereignists will take power in every European country but I doubt they will succeed in their goal of stopping mass migration. 

They might throw off the American yoke but perhaps America might do that for them. 

As for the EU, Robert Tombs likens it to the Hapsburg Empire in that it cannot be reformed and cannot be abolished. 

On the other hand the Hapsburg Empire worked and was a great power.

The EU will fall apart at some point - even the Hapsburg monarchy did - but not nearly as soon as seemed likely after the Brexit referendum.

In 2022 it seemed that the Ukrainian war would vitalise the EU and Nato, but the reverse is happening.

Not very long ago all nice people in Romania voted for the anti-system USR (The Save Romania Union), against the kleptocrats and corrupt 'structure of power' and in favour of the EU, seen as the providential saviour of  a country fallen among thieves. 

Now there are two different sorts of anti-system politicians in Romania and, to many, the EU and Nato seem the system from which Romania needs saving.