By Athena Papakosta

Far-right, pro-Russian and tik toker, Kalin Gheorgescu is the winner – a surprise to everyone, inside and outside Romania, since he not only went under the radar of the polls and cut the electoral thread first, but because he doesn’t even have a party and therefore neither offices. Cameras and reporters had to wait on his doorstep for a statement on election night.

So how did he do it? Turnout in the first round of the presidential election was not low. Instead, it moved to 51%, just like five years ago.

His weapon turns out to be the popular social networking platform Tik Tok. Through it Calin Gheorgescu was able to run an entire election campaign, as the said Social Network Media proved to be particularly flexible in its limits with him being able to do and say whatever he wants. His populist rhetoric, which he so passionately pursues, has found a haven fertile enough to flourish through the medium’s user-friendly content creation. He even uses dramatic music, while each of his videos has subtitles from what he or someone else says.

Indicatively, in 2020 he chose to film himself swimming in freezing water, while everything around was covered in snow. His goal was to (dis)prove that vaccines were completely useless and how a dip, in the middle of polar temperatures, was the solution for a strong immunity.

Four years later, he contented himself with saying that the coronavirus does not exist, since “no one has seen it” and chose to embellish his argument by acquiring yet another ally, who could not be other than Jesus Christ, who according to himself Gheorgescu is “the only and true science”.

He is 62 years old and takes great care of his appearance. He always appears clean-shaven and makes sure to show off his extremely good physical condition either by running on a treadmill, practicing judo, or even riding a horse like Putin has done, but with one difference. Gheorgescu did not appear half-naked as the Russian president had preferred to be photographed but chose to wear a traditional Romanian blouse.

In the European Union and NATO, they remain shocked by Giorghesku’s victory in the first round of the presidential elections, since he meets all the conditions to be “classified” in the category of “another radical right-wing populist” who speaks against the West, but for of Moscow and the Mass Media are “fighting” him.

As the European edition of Politico notes, Romania is among the former members of the Soviet Union that remain more wary of Russia, but Gheorgescu’s pro-Putin enthusiasm has not cost him at the ballot box.

“Putin seems to love his country,” he has said, adding that “Romania could do with some of Russia’s wisdom.”

As far as the European Union is concerned, he has proven critical, stressing that Bucharest has now been subordinated to the West. He also insists that NATO will not intervene if Romania is attacked and calls for an end to the war in Ukraine, underlining that Volodymyr Zelenskiy is doing harm to his country.

At the same time he embraces many conspiracy theories, such as those of the anti-vaccination movement, has called the members of the Romanian fascist movement during World War II “heroes”, and appears as a defender of Christianity.

“We are in God’s hands,” he said, even as he claimed he spent no money on his election campaign while calling the exercise of suffrage a “prayer for the nation.”

His party tells him that it is Romania and that he does not need to conduct a political campaign, since his participation in the elections is a “call”.

According to political analysts, the appearance of Gheorgescu is due to the deterioration of the two traditional parties in Romania, which for many are now considered “incompetent” with the country having experienced a series of crises in recent years due to which the citizens’ trust in them has decreased.

The position of the president in the country is considered more symbolic. However, he represents Romania on the international stage and can remain particularly influential in the conduct of foreign policy.

Therefore, if Kalin Gheorgescu survives the second round of presidential elections on December 8, then he will take the reins in a country bordering war-torn Ukraine in the east of the European Union, and both Brussels and Kiev will be in danger of losing. a member of the Western alliance at a critical time for the war, just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office.

To date, Bucharest has played a supporting role in Western support for Ukraine.

The port of Constanta is a vital corridor for sending Ukrainian grain exports out and military supplies in, while Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base on the Black Sea – just 300km from Odessa and 400km from Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea – heading to become the largest in NATO.