Pro-EU elites in Romania are scrambling to maintain their grip on power by forming a sprawling coalition of unlikely allies, leaving nationalist voices in the cold.
On the first day of talks, the social democrat PSD, center-right PNL, liberal USR, and ethnic Hungarian RMDSZ parties rushed to create a so-called “democratic” alliance. Their primary goal? To block the three nationalist parties—AUR, SOS Romania, and POT—from gaining influence.
The coalition also agreed to back a single presidential candidate for the rescheduled March election, after the Constitutional Court abruptly annulled last Sunday’s vote, citing supposed “foreign interference.” While no candidate has been chosen yet, intense backroom deals are underway. Predictably, PSD and USR—historic adversaries—are at odds over key positions. The liberals, originally an anti-establishment movement, seem more concerned with keeping the presidential palace out of socialist hands than serving the people.
Behind the scenes, it’s clear why this coalition came together: fear. The annulled election was poised to deliver a nationalist victory, with independent Călin Georgescu emerging as a strong contender after unexpectedly uniting the nationalist vote. PSD’s Marcel Ciolacu, who hoped to face AUR’s George Simion in a rigged runoff, found himself in third place behind Georgescu and USR’s Elena Lasconi. In a panic, the court called for a recount, and when that failed, it canceled the election altogether—a desperate move that shattered public trust in the system.
Critics argue the annulment wasn’t about foreign interference but about preserving the crumbling status quo. Even the liberals, despite blaming PSD for the fiasco, joined the coalition to keep the nationalist wave at bay. This uneasy alliance highlights the establishment’s growing desperation, as it clings to power while alienating the public.
Romania’s pro-EU bloc has managed to delay the inevitable by suppressing nationalist momentum and silencing dissenting voices. However, this patchwork coalition is unlikely to withstand the rising tide of nationalist sentiment fueled by years of corruption, mismanagement, and disdain for ordinary citizens. The collapse of Romania’s post-communist order isn’t a question of if, but when.
