ROMANIA: Călin Georgescu’s Surprising Rise and Russian Influence
On November 24, 2024, Romanians headed to the polls to elect the country’s next president. In a shocking twist, Călin Georgescu emerged as the winner with a commanding 22.94% of the votes. Trailing behind him were Elena Lasconi with 19.18% and Ion Ciolacu with 19.15%. Notably, only a few thousand votes separated the second and third places, highlighting how close the race was beyond Georgescu's unexpected victory. His win was both a surprise and a shock to many. In this blog post, we’ll dive into who Călin Georgescu is, how this election unfolded to give rise to a "TikTok star" victory, and what his presidency could mean for Romania's future. Before we continue, I want to make it clear that this topic is deeply personal to me as a Romanian. My goal is to advocate for democracy, freedom, and a stable economy for our country. I am painfully aware of the hardships Romania has endured under corrupt governments. However—and this is a critical point—the solution is not a