‘Like Putin’, the president on a white horse succeeded… Independent candidate ‘6th place → 1st place’ reversal
Publication date: 2024-11-28 10:37 Updated: 2024-11-28 13:32
Romanian presidential candidate Carlin Gheorgescu (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin riding horses, respectively. Photo = X Capture
A candidate who was predicted to have a slim chance of winning the Romanian presidential election won the first round of voting with a strategy that actively utilized social networking services (SNS).
According to the Financial Times (FT), pro-Putin far-right politician Carlin Gheorgescu (62; independent) candidate won with about 23% of the vote in the first round of the Romanian presidential election (primary election) on the 24th (local time). took the top spot.
In the Romanian presidential election, if no one receives a majority of the votes, a runoff election is held between the first and second vote-getters to determine the winner. If he wins the runoff election, it will be an unprecedented reversal.
Candidate Georgescu, who ran as an independent candidate, was an ‘other’ candidate with an approval rating of only 0.4% in a public opinion poll conducted last month. No one expected him to win. In another opinion poll this month, his approval rating rose significantly to 5.4%, but he still ranked 6th.
However, in the actual voting, the unexpected vote rate of over 20% was achieved, surprising the public. As a result, candidate Gheorgescu will face the leading candidate, Elena Lasconi, leader of the center-right opposition Romanian National Salvation Union (USR), in the runoff.
Romanian presidential candidate Carlin Georgescu (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin are shown practicing martial arts. Photo = X Capture
The FT focused on candidate Gheorgescu’s strategy for his surprising victory in an article titled ‘How a Putin-supporting TikTok star took first place in Romania’s presidential primary.’
Experts believe that the reason why Gheorgescu, a former honorary member of the far-right party AUR, ran as an independent candidate and won was because his campaign video featuring horseback riding, martial arts, and anti-establishment tendencies went viral on TikTok and other platforms. Some of the videos resemble those released by Russian President Vladimir Putin, showing off his ‘masculinity’ to the fullest.
In particular, in the video, he clearly expressed his skepticism toward Ukraine and his negative stance toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU), which support it. Romania is a member of the EU.
A few days after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, he praised President Putin as “a man who loves his country,” and said of the U.S. deployment of air defense systems, “With the war going on in Ukraine, Russia He also claimed that it was a hostile act against .
“It’s a victory for TikTok,” said Ion M. Ionita, a Romanian analyst and historian. “There is no need for political parties. It just needs to go viral on social media. He (Georgescu) definitely went viral,” he said.
With major political parties struggling to maintain credibility amid years of economic stagnation and political scandals, Ionita said voters have become enthusiastic about messages that have no connection to reality.
In addition, by advocating religious and far-right views that appeal to both rural and young male voters, he was able to increase the vote rate by 23% without using campaign funds.
The FT interpreted, “Georgescu’s success is a sign that Trump-style populism is spreading in Europe,” and “It also means that Romanians’ thoughts on the war between Russia and Ukraine have changed significantly.”
Although Gheorghescu’s ‘love for Russia’ continues, the Kremlin “has not yet figured out the position on the relationship between Gheorghescu and Russia.” “I will not predict the outcome of the presidential election,” he said.
However, experts agree that if Georgescu wins the final, Russia will benefit significantly. Romania provided Ukraine with 1 billion euros worth of military equipment, including air defense systems. There is also a US Air Force base on the Black Sea coast. The explanation is that if he takes power in Romania, he will supervise military and diplomatic relations and implement policies that are friendly to Russia.
Meanwhile, several videos he posted have been deleted by TikTok. This is because even though it was an election advertisement, it was not indicated. However, some videos still remain online after being re-uploaded by other users.
Reporter Seo Hee-won shw@etnews.com
