Romania’s PM Not Concerned with Romexit Propaganda

Romania’s Prime Minister, Mr. Marcel Ciolacu, offered an interesting statement on the increasing political propaganda for the country to exit the EU. According to the latest survey, approximately 27% of the voters would choose the nationalist parties SOS and AUR, the two main political parties considered capable of placing the country on a Romexit path.

Also, 25% of the respondents say they trust the two party leaders, Mrs. Diana Sosoaca and Mr. George Simion, while the current PM, the leader of the Romanian Socialists, enjoys 27% popularity.

Marcel Ciolacu said, during a political rally of the Socialists, that he is not concerned about the increasing trend promoting Romexit. Still, he would like the TV hosts to ask the political leaders about the alternative after exiting the EU.

We have a unique chance to be in the European Union, and we must say this every time Romania’s place is in the European Union. I don’t care if a political opponent goes on TV and says it’s better to leave Europe. What bothers me is that someone doesn’t immediately ask him: Could you give us your solution if we leave Europe? Where do we go, and how many decades do we go back? Do we look and remove everything that divided us for 30 years from his speech? Good people, we have children, all at home, some of you are young, you will have families and children, what are we building? Everything we hated or want that we are building a real future for us and our children and Romania, first of all, because first of all, we are Romanians, then we are Socialists.

Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu on Romexit propaganda

This is a clever political statement. On the one hand, Ciolacu positions the Socialists, once considered the trendsetters of the Romexit, on a pro-European path before the Europarliamentary elections this spring. On the other hand, he tries to make the Romexit supporters doubt if exiting the EU is the right choice for Romania.

As we showed previously, the Romanians’ trust in the European Union collapsed during the pandemic years. The Eurobarometer in 2023 says this about the trust the Romanian people lost in the European institutions.

Namely, almost 10% of trust was lost during the last two years. Only 46% of Romanians see EU membership as positive, compared to 55% in 2020. It’s quite a drop, considering Romania has dropped way below the EU average here, which is 62% now, increasing from 59% in 2020.

So, what is the trend in the country? With the Russian so-called special operation at its Nothern border, with rampant inflation and amid farmers’ protests, unhappy with the country’s leaders’ decisions to favour the Ukrainian grain exporters, Romanians have their thoughts and vision independent of what’s said on TV and political propaganda. So many broken promises over the years have turned the people more and more to nationalism, which seems to be a refugee for all those disappointed with their unfulfilled expectations since the country joined the EU.

But will AUR or SOS, even if they won this year’s elections, lead the country to a Romexit? It looks highly improbable at the moment, and all these statements seem only political methods of attracting those unhappy with the country’s current economic and social development.

When looking at what’s happening in Romania this year, one must consider four rounds of elections. Romanians will vote for the Europarliamentary, Local, General and Presidential elections in a single year, and this is the key to understanding events, statements and outcomes.