This article originally appeared on Slightly Offensive and was republished with permission.

Guest post by Dallas Ludlum

Most Americans likely haven’t given much thought to Romania’s elections. Fair enough — D.C. is a circus already without need of an extra ring in the performance. But what just happened over there deserves some attention, because it smacks of the same establishment playbook we’ve seen again and again.

Calin Georgescu, a nationalist and anti-globalist candidate, was poised to upset Romania’s political order. His platform? Putting Romania first, asking those who rule the EU and NATO with an iron fist to stand down, restoring national pride. He was building momentum, and quickly. Too quickly, apparently.

Just when he was emerging as a legitimate threat to Romania’s ruling elite, though, came the allegations — Georgescu was supposedly financed by Russian capital, his campaign was tied to foreign influence operations, and there was evidence of him spreading “disinformation” online. Sound familiar? It should. It’s the same excuse invoked to ban populists throughout the West.

🇷🇴🇩🇪 German MEP (AfD), asks the million dollar question:

If the Romanian people chose Georgescu, why did the EU cancel our elections and ban Georgescu from running?

We all know why but we still need to confront them with their crimes pic.twitter.com/BZAykdh0cs

— Daily Romania (@daily_romania) March 13, 2025

But let me break this down for a second. Was he on the take from the Russians, or was it just that he wouldn’t kneel before Brussels and Washington Elites? In today’s politics, there is hardly any difference. Congratulations, if you’re not twirling the EU flag and calling for even more cash for Ukraine, you’re essentially working for the Kremlin. And if you even dare to question NATO’s authority, you’re a security threat.

So naturally, Romania’s Constitutional Court was quick to act. They silenced him, erased the election results and prevented him from running again. Like that, democracy was “saved” by making sure the wrong guy couldn’t win. Meanwhile, there was protest, there were questions, but the mainstream media and the government kept hammering: “He was a Russian asset. Nothing to see here.”

Riots break out in Bucharest, Romania after the EU bans their version of Donald Trump, nationalist Georgescu from running in the Romanian Election!

What are they afraid of in the EU 🤔 pic.twitter.com/s6D3enGdoK

— Dane (@UltraDane) March 10, 2025

Now, did Georgescu have some possible nefarious ties? Sure. Investigators established that he had allegedly received €1 million from Horatiu Potra, a former mercenary commander who had ties to Russian organizations. Police raids linked to Potra found huge sums of cash, guns and gold ingots, leading to speculation about where the money came from and what was the intention behind it.

Aside from financial irregularities, Georgescu’s campaign was accused of running an elaborate disinformation operation on social media platforms, especially TikTok. (Who received approximately €360,000 of the €1 million from Horatiu Potra). Thousands of dormant accounts suddenly started posting reports of Georgescu’s nationalist content, authorities said, in ways reminiscent of other examples of alleged Russian electoral meddling.

These allegations were the basis for legal actions against Georgescu. He faced multiple charges, including incitement against the constitutional order and support for groups that employ fascist practices. His media appearances and social media activities were highly restricted by law enforcement agencies, given the severity of the charges. These allegations are impossible to disprove or corroborate given the convoluted nature of the Romanian courts. So, you will just have to make up your own mind.

What makes this especially interesting is that Romania is not some random Eastern European country. It’s a member of NATO, home to the Ukraine war’s doorstep. The U.S. War Machine and EU want loyalty there, not some wild-card nationalist who can mess with their posturing. Had Georgescu won, Romania might have begun to rethink its role in the war, its relationship with the EU or even its economic policies. And that was just not going to happen.

And at the same time, the same establishment that weeps fake tears over “election interference” when a handful of Russian bots post memes on Twitter (or X, whatever we’re calling it) has zero trouble outright banning candidates when it finds that useful. The hypocrisy is stunning, but, by now, utterly predictable.

So, what’s next? Romania will have an election of its own — one without the guy who actually could have challenged the system. The ruling class exhales a sigh of relief. There is still the EU and NATO to keep their obedient little ally in line. And those who dare to question what just happened are called conspiracy theorists.

Welcome to “democracy” in 2025 — where the people may vote, as long as they vote for the right person.

Copyright 2025 Slightly Offensive