Political chaos grips Romania amid coalition struggles, external influence, and rising far-right support.
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External actors have introduced alarming and bizarre elements into Romania’s political chaos, exemplified by Kimberly Guilfoyle telling Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou that “we can do it with any country. We can do it here too.” The Wall Street Journal reported this incident, noting that Guilfoyle, a former daughter-in-law of Donald Trump and wife of Gavin Newsom’s sister, suggested that Liberal Ilie Bolojan resigned not only due to austerity measures but also because his government failed to commit to developing vertical gas pipelines from Greece to Romania (and Hungary/Slovakia) or purchasing US Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), unlike the Social Democrats. While Guilfoyle met with Social Democratic politicians a month prior, her alleged threat was made in Athens in March. However, Bolojan’s government fell due to sharp debates over austerity and tax hikes, not US LNG or pipelines. The current crisis is more complex than previous ones because the coalition was a forced marriage; Bolojan’s mandate was supposed to end at the cycle’s close, with a Social Democrat taking over in 2027, but the PSD prematurely called a no-confidence vote supported by AUR. Political maneuvering continues as Prime Minister formation talks drag on, with the parliament rejecting various attempts. The far-right party AUR is gaining traction amid growing anti-Hungarian sentiment and its leader George Simion’s EU opposition stance. A political analyst describes the situation as unprecedented, noting AUR’s rise from around 20% to 40% support since the pandemic, aided by the 2024 presidential election controversy. The far-right benefited from tensions within the governing coalition; Bolojan threatened drastic social cuts and tax increases, causing his voter base to shift toward AUR, while Social Democrats faced similar losses. President Dan attempted to navigate these conflicts by seeking a consensus candidate acceptable to all sides, but various attempts failed—including candidates like Eugen Tomac and Adrian Vestea. Ultimately, the PSD stated it would take the premiership only if austerity measures were dropped and Simion was allowed back into coalition talks. The text concludes with an energy expert warning that vertical gas pipelines could potentially bypass Russian embargoes.
