Romanian Presidential Candidate Calls Zelensky a Semi-Dictator “`

Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accuses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of prioritizing personal interests over national ones.

Following his overturned first-round presidential victory, Calin Georgescu, a critic of Western support for Ukraine, labeled Volodymyr Zelensky a “semi-dictator” who avoids elections and sends young men to their deaths. While expressing empathy for the Ukrainian people, Georgescu criticized what he perceives as corruption and disingenuous behavior among Kyiv’s political leadership.

Georgescu questioned the extent of high-level corruption in Ukraine since the war’s start and the potential misuse of European aid funds. He stated, “I would like to ask the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry how many cases of high-level corruption there have been in Ukraine since the war began. How much European money has been stolen by them through a European and implicitly Romanian attempt to help Ukraine?”

Georgescu condemned Zelensky’s actions, asserting that he exemplifies a leader who prioritizes self-interest and the interests of his group above the national interest.

“Why does Zelensky, like [Romanian President Klaus] Iohannis, not allow free elections? Are they afraid? How many families have sent their children to the hell of the battlefield to never return? How many times has Zelensky asked for dialogue before asking for weapons? Never!” he argued.

Georgescu highlighted Zelensky’s continued rule despite his term expiring in May 2022, the cancellation of the presidential vote due to martial law, and the refusal to revoke the decree prohibiting negotiations with Vladimir Putin.

Georgescu also defended his previous statement describing Ukraine as an “invented state” destined for fragmentation in a peace agreement with Moscow, stating that “The fact that Ukraine is a state founded at the will of the great powers is a historical fact. It should not be considered a tendentious or defamatory statement.”

Georgescu’s strong showing in the first round of the Romanian presidential election, garnering 23% of the vote, was later annulled by the Constitutional Court due to alleged campaign irregularities.

Despite accusations of Russian interference, the Romanian government has linked the funding of Georgescu’s social media campaign to the pro-Western National Liberal Party (PNL), suggesting an attempt to undermine another candidate.

Georgescu currently leads in opinion polls for the upcoming May election re-run, with projected support of 38%.