Romania Rejects a Kremlin-Backed Extremist
And Trumpism
Last weekend, Romanian voters made a clear, defiant choice and rejected Russia, far-right extremism, and Trump.
Election Day was a nail-biter. I kept refreshing Romania’s official results site, watching closely as the country stood at a pivotal crossroads. The first-round results, held on May 4, had been bleak—far-right candidate George Simion had surged—and everyone I spoke to was on edge.
And then, something remarkable happened.
During the second round presidential election, Nicușor Dan began to pull ahead. Despite the relentless weight of Russian interference and operations, Dan—a pro-EU centrist committed to clean governance and Romania’s partnership with NATO—dealt a decisive blow to the Kremlin’s candidate.
Since last November, Russia has waged an aggressive election interference campaign in Romania and several other countries—spreading disinformation, amplifying Kremlin narratives, and propping up far-right candidates openly hostile to Ukraine, NATO, the EU, and democratic values. It was the latest chapter in a broader decades-long strategy Moscow has pursued of undermining democracies through coordinated political subversion. I feared Putin was about to install yet another proxy in Europe—but this time, democracy held the line.
As Trump tears through American institutions in his return to power, something unexpected is happening abroad, and voters are beginning to push back against the far right. Romania just delivered one of the clearest signals yet—resoundingly rejecting a Kremlin-aligned demagogue whose platform relied on nationalism, conspiracy, and scapegoating.
This was far more than a routine election. Romania sits on the front line of Europe’s geopolitical confrontation with Russia. Long before Russia’s full-scale genocidal invasion of Ukraine, Romania was a committed NATO member and regional security player—but since February 2022, its role has grown even more critical. Sharing a border with Ukraine, Romania has become one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies—facilitating aid, sheltering refugees, expanding NATO deployments, and continuing to serve as a vital security partner in the Black Sea region.
A Simion victory would have been a major strategic win for Russia and a disaster for European stability. His connections to Russian propaganda networks and overt hostility toward Ukraine weren’t speculative—they were deliberate and openly declared. His defeat marks a clear setback for Russia’s broader effort to destabilize Eastern Europe.
“George Simion wasn’t just a nationalist—he was Russia’s proxy.”
For over a decade, the Kremlin has backed extremist far-right movements across the West—providing financial and logistical support, as part of a broader strategy of its geopolitical warfare. Trump’s 2016 rise was one of the most visible successes of this ongoing campaign, fueled by disinformation, media manipulation, and covert influence. From Brexit to far-right surges across Europe, Russia has long worked to empower politicians who attack democratic institutions, sow division, and weaken NATO and the EU from within. No country has been immune. Russia’s operations span the globe—ranging from assassinations and covert financing to disinformation operations and election attacks.
But now, the tide may be turning. Trump’s return has unleashed so much chaos in the U.S., destroying and degrading a once-powerful nation—and in the process, exposing the consequences of erratic authoritarian rule to the world. At this moment in time, the global electorate is beginning to wake up—and ironically, Trump himself seems to be accelerating that awakening.
“Trump has become the unintended antidote to Russia’s influence ops—because he reveals the endgame: chaos, collapse, and kleptocracy.”
Trump has openly shown loyalty to Russia, amplified Kremlin disinformation, and repeatedly betrayed America’s allies. His counterparts abroad follow the same playbook—spreading Russian lies, sowing division, and undermining democratic institutions. But the backlash is growing.
In Moldova and Bulgaria, pro-Russian parties are losing ground. In Albania, a candidate backed by Trump’s campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, was recently defeated. In Poland, centrist candidate Rafał Trzaskowski narrowly led the first round of the presidential election, with a June 1 runoff set to determine the country’s direction. In Canada, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was defeated as voters backed Mark Carney and the Liberals. In Australia, far-right parties continue to struggle as voters gravitate toward practical, solutions-oriented governance. The MAGA brand exported abroad is failing.
Trump remains Russia’s prized asset—undermining NATO, shielding Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine, and wrecking democratic institutions in the U.S. That strategy openly includes Elon Musk, whose platform X is a megaphone for Kremlin propaganda and support for far-right extremism. But the mask is slipping. Voters are waking up—and the backlash against Trump and Musk-backed candidates is underway.
Across Europe and beyond, recent elections have signaled a shift back toward the center. For over a decade, we’ve witnessed a constant push and pull—swings between the rise of far-right populist movements and the resurgence of liberal democratic forces.
At this juncture, voters are increasingly choosing stability over chaos, democracy over demagoguery. It’s important to recognize that the far-right figures being rejected aren’t just ideological extremists—they’re often direct beneficiaries of Russia’s influence operations. While it’s too early for optimism, recent signs suggest that the tide may be turning, at least for now.
But this fight is far from over. The far right continues organizing, and Russia’s influence operations are constantly evolving. Yet last weekend’s election in Romania offers hope and clear proof: Russia’s proxies can be defeated. That outcome matters. It shifts momentum—and it gives us a roadmap.
This isn’t just about resisting authoritarianism in the U.S. It’s about aligning with our democratic allies abroad. The global pushback is already underway—and it’s up to us to stand with it, support it, and be part of it.
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Good for Romania! Now if only we could follow their example in the United States. A happy day would see the ouster of Trump and also Putin.
This is good news. Yet I still fear for those people. And everyone who lives in Europe.