Fear and anger as a “battle for the spirit of Roman democracy” waved on the horizon

The Roman village of Poeni contains a couple of stores, kebabs and a package of stray dogs.

She also has a few voters who wanted to become a major right -wing candidate.

Poeni, after more than an hour drive from the capital, is not alone in it.

Last November, Calin Georgsco – who admired Vladimir Putin and not a NATO fan – came from an extremist margin to win the first round of the Romania presidential elections by 23 % of the vote.

In Poeni was better, with 24 %.

Then the Constitutional Court canceled the entire elections in an unprecedented move, noting that the Georgisco campaign was strengthened by Russia.

In Poeni, a young voter called these allegations is called “lies”, angry at the canceled vote. “They should have been allowed to run to find out what was happening,” says Maria.

A new polling will be held in May, but Georgsco has been prevented from participating.

In Bucharest, supporters who moved to the streets cried out that the judges were destroying democracy. A handful for a short period of time with the police, which used tear gas.

Now the national politician George Simon has climbed to the race and is voted strongly.

Many Romanians fear that the main European values ​​of their country and their global alliances are still in danger.

“We are in the middle of the battle of ideas. We do not have options here,” is how a democratic activist describes mood. “The battle now.”

In the village of Poeni, there is a lesser talk about Russian values ​​and intertwining, and more money in their pockets. Or rather its absence.

On the main road side, the traffic between heavy trucks, horses and vehicles alternates, men buy charred pieces of kebabs and retirees on soil seats.

Metal public phone box is out of the shape, and its sign hangs as it was probably for years.

The income here is small, the prices are climbing and life is difficult as in most Romania.

“I want Georgsku to correct everyone. They have deceived us. They have promised us more retirement money,” a middle -aged woman speaking quietly at first, and then becomes bolder. “Others did nothing for us here!”

In the village store, Ionla is disappointing.

“Young people end the university here and cannot get work, so they go abroad. This is not normal. We need our youth to get places to work here.”

Millions of Romanians work elsewhere in the European Union and send money to their families. In Poeni, you can see where some end, in all half new homes.

The entire Ionella family voted for Georgisco. She promised to reduce taxes, but it does not seem to have registered his right -wing ideology.

A man praised the extremist figures from the past of Romania, and he is now under investigation due to suspected links of a group with “fascist, racist or foreigners”.

The emerging after the interrogation, the politician who gives a fascist greeting was photographed.

Other villagers saw this and know everything about the mysterious characters that were linked to Georgescu.

Upon hearing his name, one of the retirees holds its righteousness and does it like a machine gun, screaming that it is dangerous.

Another told me that people were skeptical of a person who rose from anywhere and focused on sovereignty on economic feeling.

“He tells us that we do not need Europe to help us with money. How can we live? Let’s face it: Europe feeds us!” She says.

Romania’s vote has become the subject of the conversation away from the streets of Boeni, or even Bucharest.

When US Vice President JD Vance Europe shocked a letter in Munich, claiming that the greatest threat to the European Union came from within and not from Russia, he pointed to Romania several times.

He announced that the country’s elections have been canceled on “weak doubts” under “tremendous pressure” from the European Union. Then Elon Musk criticized the court’s step as a “crazy” on X.

Moscow had enjoyed it.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency reached a full agreement with the United States that the “liberal main current” in Europe was suppressing the opposition.

This is from an authoritarian system.

“It is the new world in which we live. It is the ideology of Maga. They are trying to find partners and their partners who are developed right parties throughout Europe,” is the way the journalist Anta sees the alignment of the United States and Russian.

For him, the cancellation of the presidential elections was not only a constitutional, but also justified him.

“We live through a hybrid war, and democracy is under pressure,” he says. The threat is real.

But Romania, which limits Ukraine and hosts a large base of NATO, has now to deal with American hostility as well.

“It is a dramatic change. America is our ally, the largest, and the most important security provider for Romania,” notes Ion Ayonis. “We need this partnership to move forward and be stronger.

“People are worried.”

For Florin Bohoshano, the conflict is not only political – it’s personal.

Bucharest apartment, a modern jewel, is a small museum “dedicated to gay memory”.

On one wall, there is a large picture of the thirties of the twentieth century of three gay men under detention. In the next room there is a wooden wardrobe once displayed souvenirs in the era of the Romanian fascists in the Atiq store. Now it contains pictures of gay icons.

Romania only criminalizing homosexuality in 2001.

“No state museum will receive such donations,” Florin says.

He is a prominent gay activist, who had a lot of threats to the heat of this election campaign to the extent that security services warned him not to be careful.

Even with the disappearance of Georgsco quickly as it appeared, the atmosphere is fever.

George Simon, who is now considered among the candidates, was investigated after he called for election officials to be a “skin alive” to exchange Georgisco from the race.

AR describes its nationality as a “national party of conservative essence”, which is the pillars of “faith, nation, family and freedom.”

LGBT Mozaiq’s Rights Group has warned of an increase in anti -Semitic, racist and gay discourse in recent weeks. She had to alert the police after social media messages urging the attacks on her office.

So Florin Bohoshano fears that his country is thrown to the past.

“Before 2001, it was absolutely impossible to breathe. Now we hear again and again the same speech itself,” he says.

Worse, the United States, Russia and Romanian are now coinciding with.

The activist warns, “It is clear that our rights are fragile and that the world reaches their ranks, so we have to continue this battle.” “It is not only for our society. It is for the spirit of Roman democracy.”