We’re ushered down some stairs beside a Lebanese restaurant and alongside a path subsequent to a small backyard.
We stroll previous some guards, into a non-public eating room and there’s a man in a hoodie, providing a hand.
That is George Simion, simply 38 years previous however now sitting on the edge of outstanding energy.
He’s the populist politician who has made it to the run-off to turn into Romania’s president.
The disruptor up in opposition to the mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan. The novel in opposition to the centrist.
Simion apologises for dressing down and tells me, with amusing, that he shall be sporting a swimsuit “when I meet President Zelenskyy and President Trump”.
The identify Trump will crop up a number of instances in our dialog.
On the desk subsequent to him is a crimson Make America Nice Once more baseball hat. Simion makes no secret of his admiration for Donald Trump.
So what, I ask, does he take from the management fashion of the American president?
“His way of speaking the truth,” he replies. “His way of defending one’s country and one’s interests.
“We’re all, in Europe and America, fed up with politically appropriate individuals who undermine our freedom and opinions.
“We are fighting for freedom of speech and free election. We are fighting for God against evil.”
Picture:
At simply 38, George Simion is on the cusp of outstanding energy. Pic: Reuters
The outstanding factor about this election is that, actually, it should not be taking place.
It’s six months because the preliminary presidential election was annulled, after the nation’s highest courtroom determined that the main candidate, the nationalist Calin Georgescu, must be disqualified because of allegations of electoral interference by Russia.
Simion may very well be the one to prosper from that. However – and here is the twist – he is additionally been one of many loudest critics of the choice to cancel the election.
He blames “the deep state” for attempting to subvert democracy, and insists the transfer has failed.
“They managed to build a big statue for Mr Georgescu to make him a big victim,” says Simion.
“Clearly the majority of the Romanian people now hate their guts for how they manage to govern the country.
“We’re getting poorer and poorer and that is why now we have so many Romanians in Nice Britain.”
And in the biggest twist of all, he now talks of bringing Georgescu into government, should he win the presidency.
So, I ask, would he really offer the job of prime minister to Georgescu – a man who once told me that COVID wasn’t real and that he was being undermined by a global conspiracy led by George Soros?
“If now we have a landslide victory tomorrow – and if Calin Georgescu desires it – then sure, after all.
“They tried to ban me, kick me out, bribe me – with lots and lots of cash. I’m not for sale. I’m doing this for my country and for honour.”
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Calin Georgescu denies Russian hyperlinks
He stated he would comply with Trump’s lead on Ukraine, which neighbours Romania, and performed down any suggestion that he would lengthen a hand of friendship to Moscow.
“Russia left really bad memories here, and many scars, and we don’t believe that in the foreseeable future we would have good relations,” he instructed me.
He did help peace negotiations between Russia and the US, insisting they would wish to incorporate safety ensures, notably to guard nations equivalent to Romania and the Baltic states.
‘We would like you Brits again’
And there was a phrase, too, for Britain. Simion instructed me he regretted Britain’s determination to go away the European Union, however stated he may perceive “why you want to get away from Ursula von der Leyden and Emmanuel Macron”.
Romania, he emphasised, had labored laborious to get a spot inside the EU and NATO “so we are here to stay and won’t be going anywhere”.
However he stated the EU ought to deal with being an financial challenge – the concept of a extra federal Europe appears to horrify him.
“We would like more and more cooperation with you British,” he stated.
“We feel bad that we are not in the same single market and we share lots of history together and we want you Brits back.
“I discovered rather more about British tradition and civilisation through the English classes in my faculty than lots of your highschool children do. So we hope to have the identical future as a part of the free world.”
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‘It is going to be a landslide’
Our time is up, however earlier than I depart he exhibits me a chart on the wall, marked with predictions from his group.
Essentially the most optimistic has him profitable with 57% of the vote, however he disagrees.
“It will be a landslide,” he tells me. “At least 60%.”
He might not have many years of expertise, however he doesn’t lack for confidence.
