The chandeliers glittered in the ballroom of the Atlantic Council as diplomats, ministers, and executives filtered in for the opening session of the Geoeconomics Forum. The event promised high-level conversation on trade, technology, and global markets, but there was little illusion about the stakes: the EU–US relationship is being reshaped in real time by war, energy shocks, and the race for technological supremacy.
Romania has found itself amid a political crisis. The Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the presidential election results is a shocking political event, and a significant reflection of the deepening divides in Romania’s political landscape and its strained democratic institutions. This decision made just two days before the final round of voting, has sparked heated debates about the role of the judiciary, the influence of foreign powers, and the integrity of Romania’s electoral process. The surreal irony of watching voters in the diaspora cast their ballots on live TV, even after learning of the Court’s decision, highlights the chaotic nature of the situation. In just two weeks, Romania has gone from a relatively calm and stable democracy—recently admitted into the Schengen Area—to a nation on the brink of a constitutional crisis.
First, it felt like a strange dream. As a political enthusiast who is always up-to-date on the latest news, I could never have imagined the situation in which I wake up in my home and have no idea who the man who has just won the election is. Since 6.30 am, 25 November 2024, I have already known that feeling. Romania, the EU’s sixth most populous member state, has recently made waves in the European press. Amid a “super-election” year, with elections for the European Parliament, local councils, parliament, and the presidency all taking place in 2024, far-right and dark-horse candidate Călin Georgescu won the first round of Romania’s presidential election with 23 percent of the vote.
In late March, the Hungarian parliament ratified Finland’s NATO membership, which led to joining it as a member a week later. At the time, some Hungarian officials “spent months telling counterparts that they had no objections, and their parliament was simply busy with other business,” as reported by Politico. “Budapest changed its narrative… with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán… arguing the point that some of his legislators had qualms regarding criticism of the state of Hungarian democracy.” While taking longer than perhaps hoped, the Hungarian parliament ultimately voted to ratify it by a margin of 182 to 6 on March 27.
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