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Thursday, September 11, 2025

Tag: Populists
September 3, 2025
1A
UK

Nigel Farage to Warn Congress of British Government’s ‘War on Freedom.’

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Reform Party leader Nigel Farage is set to speak at the U.S. Congress, accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of a “war on freedom” and calling for the U.S. to impose penalties on countries restricting free speech.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Sir Keir Starmer, arrested comedy writer Graham Linehan, and others.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Farage will testify before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., later today.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “The Graham Linehan case is yet another example of the war on freedom in the UK.” – Nigel Farage

🎯IMPACT: The testimony follows the arrest of Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan by five armed police officers at London’s Heathrow airport, over social media posts critical of transgenderism.

IN FULL

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage will address the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. today, where he will accuse Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, of the far-left Labour Party, of waging a “war on freedom.” He is expected to call on the Trump administration to impose diplomatic and trade sanctions on countries that curb free speech, spotlighting the recent case of Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan being arrested by five armed police officers at London’s Heathrow Airport for posts on X (formerly Twitter) critical of transgenderism.

“The Graham Linehan case is yet another example of the war on freedom in the UK,” Farage is expected to tell Congress. He will also address the imprisonment of Lucy Connolly, a mother with young children who was prosecuted after calling for “mass deportations now” and saying she would not care if asylum hotels were burned down following the murder of multiple little girls by a migration-background teenager in Southport, England.

“Free speech is a fundamentally British value. We would do well to remember that every signatory of the American Declaration of Independence was, after all, a British subject,” he is expected to say.

Sir Mark Rowley, who leads London’s Metropolitan Police force, has claimed his officers are in an “impossible position” due to the various laws against “grossly offensive” communications and inciting “hatred” in Britain—although there is no law forcing them to aggressively pursue people for speech crimes when assaults, burglaries, and other crimes most members of the public would consider more important usually go unsolved and often uninvestigated.

In an attempt to counter Farage, Prime Minister Starmer claims the Brexit champion is being “unpatriotic” by raising Britain’s erosion of free speech, with the notionally right-wing Conservative (Tory) Party that governed the country before Labour echoing the same talking points.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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August 29, 2025
UK

Farage Is Most Recognized Political Leader in Britain—Including the Prime Minister.

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âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Research from pollster YouGov revealed that Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has better recognition than any other British party leader, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Keir Starmer, other party leaders, and British voters.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Recent polling conducted in the United Kingdom by YouGov.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “An overwhelming majority of 89 per cent of Britons correctly identify Nigel Farage by name when shown a photograph of him.” – YouGov poll

🎯IMPACT: The findings highlight Farage’s enduring popularity and high profile, and the lack of recognition for other party leaders, including among those party’s supporters.

IN FULL

Reform Party leader and Brexit champion Nigel Farage enjoys greater name recognition than any other British political party leader, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Some leaders of major parties are relatively unknown even to those parties’ supporters.

According to YouGov, 89 per cent of Britons can correctly identify Nigel Farage by name when shown his photograph, just surpassing the recognition of Prime Minister Starmer, who is named correctly by 87 per cent. No other party leaders in the poll received this reaction, likely because they were largely unrecognizable.

Nigeria-raised Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke “Kemi” Badenoch, leader of the Conservative (Tory) Party, which governed Britain for 14 years before Starmer’s Labour Party regained office in mid-2024, was recognized by 62 percent of respondents. Only 37 per cent of Britons could correctly identify Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader.

Despite Ed Davey’s long tenure and stint as a minister in former Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, a third of his own party’s supporters failed to recognize him. The Green Party fared even worse, with co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsey recognized by just nine percent and two percent of Britons, respectively. Even among Green voters, Ramsey’s recognition only reached nine percent.

Recent polling has been unkind to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Beyond dissatisfaction with his handling of key issues like border control and the economy, public opinion of him personally has been unfavorable. Earlier this month, polls indicated that U.S. President Donald J. Trump is viewed more positively in the United Kingdom than Starmer, despite a media environment almost universally hostile to the American leader.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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August 26, 2025
Immigration
UK

Farage Targets 600,000 Deportations to Beat ‘Scourge’ of Illegal Immigration.

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âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Reform Party leader Nigel Farage unveiled new plans to tackle illegal immigration if he becomes Prime Minister, including leaving the European Court of Human Rights, banning asylum claims for illegal entrants, and deporting 600,000 migrants.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Reform, Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, and other Labour Party officials.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Plans outlined on Tuesday in Oxfordshire, England.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Under these new plans, if you come to the UK illegally you will be ineligible for asylum. No ifs, no buts.” – Nigel Farage

🎯IMPACT: The proposals aim to address the “national emergency” of illegal immigration, which has worsened steadily under both the incumbent Labour Party and the previously governing Conservative Party.

IN FULL

Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s populist Reform Party, has unveiled a set of policies to tackle illegal immigration, which he calls a “scourge” that has grown to a “historic and unprecedented” level under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour Party. Farage’s plan includes withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights—an institution technically separate from the European Union (EU) to which Britain remains subject despite Brexit—scrapping the British Human Rights Act, which is often cited by activist judges blocking deportations, and suspending outdated international agreements like the Refugee Convention.

Outlining “Operation Restoring Justice” at a speech in Oxfordshire, England, Farage declared, “Under these new plans, if you come to the UK illegally you will be ineligible for asylum. No ifs, no buts.” He also pushed for a legal requirement forcing Starmer’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper—roughly equivalent to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary—to deport migrants for illegal entry, which is rarely prosecuted at present.

Reform wants a permanent ban on asylum claims for anyone entering the country illegally. Officials from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party have dismissed the plans as poorly thought out and lacking depth. Still, Starmer’s own efforts to “smash the gangs” behind people-smuggling have proved farcical, with illegal immigration up significantly and smuggling arrests down rather than up.

“The scourge of illegal migration that we have seen in this country over the last five years is historic and unprecedented,” Farage stressed. Tens of thousands of migrants now cross the English Channel in small boats every year from France—a safe country—with the French authorities doing little to stop them, despite the British government paying them hundreds of millions of pounds to do so. Migrants also continue to enter Britain stowed away in trucks and other vehicles passing through the Channel Tunnel, albeit in lower numbers. Meanwhile, the number of visa-overstay illegals is unknown because the British government stopped releasing them after 2020.

Currently, Reform is polling ahead of Labour and substantially ahead of the notionally right-wing Conservative Party, which governed from 2010 to mid-2024. Reform winning office in 2029—the latest the next British general election can be held—would be seismic, with the country not having had a Prime Minister who was not from Labour or the Conservatives since 1922.

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August 7, 2025
William Upton
Politics

Kassam: ‘Leadership from the Base’ Forcing GOP Lawmakers to Grow a Spine.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Speaking with Dinesh D’Souza on the Dinesh D’Souza Podcast, The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam argues the political backbone recently developed by Republican lawmakers—best illustrated by congressional redistricting fights in Texas and other states—is driven by increasing grassroots MAGA leadership.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Raheem Kassam, Dinesh D’Souza, the MAGA movement, GOP lawmakers, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The podcast aired Wednesday evening, August 7, 2025.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “I think what is happening in terms of the leadership that’s going on, yes, of course, there is so much leadership from the White House and President Trump, but, I think really, the leadership is coming from the base up at the moment.” — Raheem Kassama

🎯IMPACT: Kassam argues that while the GOP is taking up more and more of the MAGA Agenda, the Republican establishment has yet to “have had certain changes of heart” and is instead looking to conserve its power.

IN FULL

The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam argues the political backbone recently developed by Republican lawmakers—best illustrated by congressional redistricting fights in Texas and other states—is driven by increasing grassroots MAGA leadership. Speaking with Dinesh D’Souza on the Dinesh D’Souza Podcast, Kassam said that while President Donald J. Trump and his White House are providing leadership, the biggest boost driving the populist agenda is coming from the MAGA base outside Washington, D.C.

“Look, I’m a populist, but I’m also a bit of a cynic—as many probably know. I would love to say, ‘Yes, you know, clearly the GOP has grown a pair’—I don’t believe that to be the case,” Kassam explains, continuing: “I think this is what happens in a power vacuum, is that these politicians see the ability to take on more power, to keep out their enemies for longer.”

“I think what is happening in terms of the leadership that’s going on, yes, of course, there is so much leadership from the White House and President Trump, but, I think really, the leadership is coming from the base up at the moment,” Kassam told D’Souza. “The number of years now that I’ve spoken to my friends in Texas, our members at The National Pulse in Texas, who go ‘I can’t believe it, I don’t understand, we have dominance in this state, but we’re not doing the things we need to do. We’re certainly not doing it on the topic of Islam… we’re not doing it in terms of… redistricting.”

Kassam goes on to contend that the recent political action on these issues and others is driven by intensifying grassroots activism, while noting: “When the grassroots, the MAGA base, because I don’t think the MAGA base—for all that the good people here are in Washington, D.C., working in the Trump administration—I still don’t think the MAGA base is in D.C. The MAGA base is all around the country.”

Referring to the regular MAGA Americans outside the nation’s capital, Kassam emphasized that they “are the basis on which change is made. And that is the basis on which people keep their eyes on the prize, the closest, is in their communities, is in their neighborhoods, and all of that filters upwards.”

Despite the positive progress, Kassam contends healthy skepticism should still be directed at the GOP political establishment. “So yes, the GOP base is certainly pushing the institutional Republican Party in the directions it needs to go, I’m just not sure yet that the politicians themselves have had certain changes of heart, rather than realizing, you know, ‘Hey, this is how I hold on to my seat.'”

WATCH:

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July 7, 2025
Lauren Gallagher
News
World

‘Leave Bolsonaro Alone!’ — Trump Warns Brazil Against ‘Witch Hunt’ of Populist Leader.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: On Monday, President Donald J. Trump cautioned Brazil’s far-left government and judiciary that his administration opposes the ongoing lawfare campaign against populist former President Jair Bolsonaro.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, the Trump administration, and the Brazilian government.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Brazil and the United States, July 7, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!” – President Donald J. Trump

🎯IMPACT: Trump backing Bolsonaro could cause friction between the U.S. and Brazil and bolster Bolsonaro’s supporters.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has defended populist former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, sometimes dubbed the ‘Tropical Trump,’ in a post on his Truth Social platform, calling the charges against him a “witch hunt.” Bolsonaro, who lost reelection in 2022 to the far-left Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—after Bolsonaro’s attempts to do away with voting machine-based elections were blocked—has been banned from seeking office until 2030.

“Brazil is doing a terrible thing on their treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro. I have watched, as has the World, as they have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year!” Trump wrote. He continued, “He is not guilty of anything, except having fought for THE PEOPLE.”

Trump praised Bolsonaro as a “strong Leader” and tough negotiator on trade. “His Election was very close, and now, he is leading in the Polls,” he added. Trump concluded with a direct message: “The Great People of Brazil will not stand for what they are doing to their former President. I’ll be watching the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters, very closely. The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!”

He also compared the efforts to exclude Bolsonaro from Brazil’s elections to the lawfare campaign against him in 2024, writing, “This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent — Something I know much about! It happened to me, times 10.”

Brazilian President Lula responded on X, formerly Twitter: “We are a sovereign country. We do not accept interference or guardianship from anyone. We have solid and independent institutions. No one is above the law. Especially those that threaten freedom and the rule of law.” However, whether the Brazilian people are truly sovereign if they are denied the opportunity to vote for Bolsonaro as their preferred candidate is debatable.

Lula had himself been convicted of corruption and was blocked from running in 2018. However, his convictions were overturned in 2021 by a court largely composed of judges appointed by him or his political allies.

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June 19, 2025
Jack Montgomery
UK

Nigel Farage Is Leaving Britain’s Uniparty in the Dust.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A new poll from Find Out Now shows Nigel Farage’s Reform Party leading nationwide with 31 percent support, far ahead of the governing Labour Party and the formerly governing Conservatives (Tories).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Reform, Labour, the Tories, the Find Out Now polling firm, and 2,628 Great British adults surveyed.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: June 2025, United Kingdom.

🎯IMPACT: The findings represent a seismic shift in British politics and show Reform may be on course to dethrone Labour and the Conservatives, who have led every British government since 1915.

IN FULL

A stunning new national poll shows Nigel Farage’s Reform Party building an increasingly strong position at the top of Britain’s political landscape, surpassing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer‘s Labour Party and the formerly governing Conservatives. The poll, conducted by Find Out Now, surveyed 2,628 Great British adults, and shows Reform UK polling at 31 percent—far ahead of Labour, at 23 percent, and the Conservatives, at an abysmal 16 percent.

The Liberal Democrats come in at 12 percent, with the Greens at 11 percent. The Scottish National Party (SNP), formerly led by the notorious Humza Yousaf, registered three percent, with “Other” at two percent, and the Welsh independence party Plaid Cymru at one percent.

Reform’s rise appears to coincide with growing disaffection among former Conservative voters, after the party governed from the left and oversaw an unprecedented surge in mass migration from 2010 to mid-2024, and widespread frustration with Labour’s punishing tax policies and failures on illegal immigration. The polling firm notes that the sample is representative across Great Britain—Northern Ireland has a unique party landscape—by sex, age, region, ethnicity, and voting history, and excludes those who said they would not vote or who were undecided.

Reform’s leader, Brexit champion Nigel Farage, has consistently called for tougher immigration controls, tax cuts, and energy independence.

Image courtesy of Stuart Mitchell, IncMonocle.

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June 3, 2025
News
Politics

The Dutch Govt Has Collapsed Over Migration. Here’s Why…

PULSE POINTS:

âť“What Happened: Geert Wilders, leader of the populist Freedom Party (PVV), withdrew his party from the governing coalition in the Netherlands, collapsing the government.

👥 Who’s Involved: Geert Wilders (PVV), Prime Minister Dick Schoof, center-right VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz, Deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer of the  Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB).

đź“Ť Where & When: Netherlands, coalition collapsed after less than a year in office, starting July 2024.

đź’¬ Key Quote: “No signature for our asylum plans. PVV leaves the coalition,” said Geert Wilders on X.

⚠️ Impact: Snap elections are expected, with asylum and immigration likely to dominate campaigns.

IN FULL:

The Dutch governing coalition has collapsed after populist leader Geert Wilders withdrew his Freedom Party (PVV) over disagreements on immigration policy. The coalition, which had been in power for less than a year, fell apart following Wilders’ demand for stricter asylum measures, including freezing applications and limiting chain migration, a.k.a “family reunification.”

Prime Minister Dick Schoof reportedly made a last-minute appeal to coalition leaders on Tuesday morning, but the meeting ended after just one minute when Wilders walked out. Wilders later posted on X, “No signature for our asylum plans. PVV leaves the coalition.”

The coalition, formed in July 2024 after lengthy negotiations, included Wilders’ PVV, the notionally conservative but largely liberal VVD, the upstart Farmers‘ Citizen Movement (BBB), and the marginally center-right New Social Contract.

VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz called Wilders’s decision “super irresponsible,” while Deputy Prime Minister Mona Keijzer of the BBB accused Wilders of “betraying the Netherlands.” However, with PVV being the most successful party in the last Dutch election, many will argue it was incumbent on Wilders’s coalition partners to defer to him on his key issues of asylum and immigration.

The fallout has sparked speculation about snap elections, which could occur this autumn. Analysts suggest that Wilders will likely center his campaign on immigration issues. Wilders and the PVV came first in last year’s national elections, and polling suggests that the PVV remains ahead.

Prime Minister Schoof is expected to offer the cabinet’s resignation to King Willem-Alexander. While Schoof could attempt to lead a minority government, forming alliances with left-wing opposition parties is seen as unlikely. Leftist Labour-Green alliance leader Frans Timmermans, a former top European Union (EU) official, has already called for fresh elections.

Image by Roel Wijnants.

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May 20, 2025
News
World

Portugal’s Populists Are Surging. Here’s Why…

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❓What Happened: Portugal’s Chega Party achieved its best-ever election result, securing a record vote share and challenging the country’s long-standing two-party establishment.

👥 Who’s Involved: Chega Party, led by André Ventura; Socialist Party, led by Pedro Nuno Santos; Democratic Alliance (AD), led by Luís Montenegro.

đź“Ť Where & When: Portugal, during snap parliamentary elections concluded in May 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “The system has been shaken,” said Chega lawmaker Pedro Pinto. “And we represent a governing alternative.”

⚠️ Impact: The result signals a shift in Portugal’s political landscape, with Chega emerging as a significant populist force in the European Union (EU). The election outcome leaves the AD coalition short of a majority.

IN FULL:

Portugal’s populist Chega Party has achieved its strongest electoral performance to date, securing 22.56 percent of the vote in the nation’s recent snap parliamentary elections. This result, confirmed Monday, marks the end of decades-long two-party dominance in Portuguese politics.

Led by André Ventura, Chega campaigned on an anti-immigration and anti-corruption platform. Ventura described the outcome as “historic,” emphasizing a voter rejection of mass immigration policies under the sitting government. The election was the third in as many years, triggered by political scandals involving former prime ministers.

The governing Democratic Alliance (AD), led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, emerged as the largest party with 32 percent of the vote but fell short of an outright majority. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party, under Pedro Nuno Santos, finished second with 23 percent. The Socialists’ poor showing prompted Santos to announce his resignation, as the party’s vote share drew nearly level with Chega.

Despite Chega’s strong performance, Montenegro has ruled out forming a coalition with the populist party. He has instead expressed hopes of leading a minority government. The election result leaves Portugal’s political future uncertain, with overseas votes yet to break the tie between Chega and the Socialist Party.

Chega’s rise mirrors a broader populist surge in neighboring Spain and across Europe as a whole. The party had already made significant gains in last year’s elections, and its continued momentum highlights growing dissatisfaction with the political establishment.

Chega lawmaker Pedro Pinto remarked, “The system has been shaken. And we represent a governing alternative.” The results underscore a shift in Portuguese politics, with populism gaining ground against traditional parties.

Image via Vox.

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Romania
May 6, 2025
Politics
World

Prime Minister Set to Resign Following Conservative Victory.

PULSE POINTS:

âť“What Happened: The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, announced his resignation following the first-round victory of conservative nationalist George Simion in the presidential election.

👥 Who’s Involved: Marcel Ciolacu, George Simion, Nicusor Dan, Calin Georgescu.

đź“Ť Where & When: Romania, resignation announced on Monday after Sunday’s election results.

đź’¬ Key Quote: “Despite the obstacles, despite the manipulation, despite a press paid to demean us day after day, Romanians have stood up,” Simion stated.

⚠️ Impact: Romanian government bonds fell, and the political landscape could shift, affecting relationships with the EU and NATO.

IN FULL:

Following the first-round victory of George Simion, leader of the populist Alliance for the Union of Romanians, in Romania’s presidential election, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has resigned. The announcement came in response to the electoral upset. The government will now be led by an interim premier as coalition parties deliberate on Ciolacu’s successor.

Simion, who identifies with a political philosophy akin to President Donald J. Trump’s, secured over 40 percent of the votes, outperforming expectations and increasing his chances of winning the presidency. “Despite the obstacles, despite the manipulation, despite a press paid to demean us day after day, Romanians have stood up,” Simion said following the win.

Simion will face Bucharest’s centrist mayor, Nicusor Dan, in a runoff scheduled for May 18. Simion’s first-round success has dramatically shifted betting market odds in his favor, with his probability of winning the second round now at 69 percent.

This election marks Romania’s second attempt to elect a president after last year’s election was annulled due to alleged Russian interference through TikTok. The unexpected victory of Calin Georgescu, a pro-Trump nationalist and NATO skeptic barred from the current race, previously plunged Romania into a political crisis, leading to widespread protests.

Despite his criticisms of the European Union (EU) and NATO, Simion has reassured that Romania will not exit either organization, emphasizing the importance of both for national security. “Eighty percent of the Romanians want NATO and want the European Union. This is not something we can negotiate,” Simion stated.

As Romania navigates this political transformation, the focus remains on whether Simion can maintain his momentum and secure victory in the upcoming runoff. The outcome could further align Romania with other conservative-populist European countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia.

Image by Jorge Franganillo.

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May 5, 2025
News
Politics

Nationalist Leads in Romanian Presidential Polls.

PULSE POINTS:

âť“What Happened: George Simion, a nationalist and supporter of President Donald J. Trump, won the first round of Romania’s presidential election redo by a significant margin.

👥 Who’s Involved: George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), and a globalist opponent in the upcoming runoff.

đź“Ť Where & When: Romania, with a runoff election scheduled for May 18.

💬 Key Quote: “For 35 years, the Romanian people lived the lie that we are a democratic country,” Simion said. “And now the people are awakening.”

⚠️ Impact: A Simion presidency could shift Romania’s geopolitical stance within the European Union (EU) and NATO, challenging the status quo.

IN FULL:

George Simion, a nationalist figure and supporter of President Donald J. Trump, has emerged victorious in the first round of Romania’s presidential election redo. The courts canceled the first attempted election, in which NATO skeptic Calin Georgescu won the first round, on the dubious pretext that Russia had influenced voters through TikTok videos. Georgescu was eventually barred from running again in the do-over.

Simion, 38, leads the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), a party known for its right-wing stance. His win comes amid a wave of anti-establishment sentiment sweeping the nation.

Simion’s victory sets the stage for a May 18 runoff against a globalist candidate, a contest that could significantly influence Romania’s future alignment within the European Union (EU) and NATO. The political scene in Romania was shaken last year when the top court annulled the previous election, citing alleged Russian interference, claims that Moscow has denied.

Born in Focsani in 1986, Simion pursued higher education in business and administration, as well as studying communist-era crimes. His activism includes protesting against a Canadian company’s gold mining project and advocating for the reunification with Moldova. In 2019, Simion founded the AUR party, which has grown to become Romania’s second-largest legislative force. The party opposes same-sex marriage and maintains strong ties with the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Simion aligns his party with Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, emphasizing an anti-establishment agenda. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AUR organized protests against vaccination and lockdowns, tapping into public distrust of authorities.

He criticized last year’s canceled election as a “coup d’etat” and vowed to restore democracy and the rule of law. “For 35 years, the Romanian people lived the lie that we are a democratic country,” Simion said.

A potential Simion challenges the political status quo in Europe. Simion insists on a strong NATO presence in Eastern Europe while opposing further military aid to Ukraine. He also advocates for more autonomy for EU member states, aligning with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s views.

Image: AUR Alianța pentru Unirea Românilor.

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