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US admits to 500 troops in Taiwan testing Beijing’s red lines
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Leaders of Romania’s main far-right parties are calling for street protests and demanding early parliamentary elections. George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), which holds nearly 20% of seats in parliament, made the appeal in a public statement following his recent presidential election defeat, according to HotNews.
Both AUR and the Party of Young People (POT) are pushing to capitalise on the mounting discontent over proposed austerity measures, as the government tries to address growing fiscal challenges.
“We must keep fighting,” Simion declared, calling on supporters to join AUR or other "sovereignist" parties and to mobilise through unions, civic groups and demonstrations.
“Given the state of Romania’s economy, I believe early elections will be held within several months,” he said, encouraging peaceful protests to pressure the government.
Anamaria Gavrilă, a close political ally and leader of POT, which had 6% representation in parliament before internal splits, echoed the call for early elections in recent public remarks.
The current government is preparing a fiscal consolidation package to address a budget deficit that reached 9.3% of GDP in 2024, well above EU thresholds. Even if measures such as a VAT hike are avoided, spending cuts are expected to affect public employees, pensioners, and other social categories reliant on state support — groups that far-right parties aim to rally.
Simion and his allies, including the smaller SOS party, are positioning themselves as an alternative to the pro-European ruling coalition, which is expected to remain led by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL). However, both parties face internal instability. Liberal Party president Nicolae Ciucă has resigned, while PSD’s interim leadership under Sorin Grindeanu has yet to signal any major organisational reform.
Unless the ruling coalition delivers credible reforms and fiscal discipline, it may face intensified anti-establishment pressure from far-right parties. The fragile political landscape increases the risk of social unrest and complicates Romania’s efforts to meet its commitments under EU fiscal and recovery frameworks.
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