Romania and the European elections

Before the European elections, let’s go and see the situation in Romania. José-Manuel Lamarque receives Michaela Antoche, journalist, Romanian correspondent in Paris, from Romanian public television.

Romania entered the Schengen area on March 31, for the moment, Schengen by air and sea routes. In this new issue of European microphonefocus on Romania with Michaela Antoche, journalist, Romanian correspondent in Paris for Romanian public television.

franceinfo: Concerning the European elections, the ruling coalition, the social democrats of the PSD and the liberals of the PNL merged for a common list. What do they represent in Romania?

Michaela Antoche: These two parties are at the top of all polls. They really have the opportunity now to oppose the AUR party, rather sovereignist, anti-globalist and eurosceptic, which is rising in the polls, and shows that this political doctrine is on the rise, even in Romania.

The social democrats on one side, the liberals, AUR the extreme right, who does he have as another party in Romania, who counts?

We also have an alliance called the United Right force, which includes three political groups, the Union UCR, as they say in Romania. After that, it is the political movement called PMP, and the right-wing force which is now less a real coalition of the conservative right, the pure and hard right. And now this force of the right-wing union occupies second or third place in the polls, it depends on which poll we are talking about….

Precisely the polls in Romania, who comes out on top for these European elections?

At the moment, the PSD-PNL Alliance, which is in power, all commentators on Romanian politics say that this social-democratic and liberal alliance will win the European elections. Behind, comes the AAlliance for the Union of Romanians, nationalist, eurosceptic, anti-globalist party. But be careful, this Union is not federalist, for a united Europe, so they are not for taking Romania out of the European Union, not at all. And there is also an SOS Romania branch, which has almost doubled in the polls, which is also rising and is also an anti-globalist and nationalist eurosceptic party, rather right, extreme right.

And this famous union of the rights, where is it located?

The United Right force started the year in third position, but rose to 24.7% of options. This means that it comes in second place in the current polls, and for the moment, the third position goes to the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians which is preferred.

When you say preferred, what is the profile of the Romanian voter who will vote?

For this Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, it is the young people who will vote for the first time, for the nationalists yes, young people aged 18. So they are going to vote for the first time. The interval between 18 and 29 years old who prefers this alliance and who sees in this alliance a way to have a little prosperity and to fight against corruption, against this threat that exists.

Because if you go out into the street and ask Romanians, what are Romania’s problems, they say corruption, threats of war, terrorist threats, purchasing power, which means poverty and unemployment.

Michaela, a geopolitical question. Does Romania as it is today still have its sights set on Moldova?

Most citizens of the Republic of Moldova have Romanian identity cards. Which means they travel and work as they want. For the moment, this European course of the Republic of Moldova gives a possibility to the new generation to hope to integrate the European Union.

And precisely, do we still dream today of Greater Romania with Moldova in Romania?

It obviously remains in all the hearts of Romanians, and in all the hearts of citizens of the Republic of Moldova. But now, when we look at what is happening in Ukraine, in Transnistria, obviously, we can say that it is a dream, but when it will come true, that is a question without answer today…