George Simion: Meeting the proud pro-Trumper who could be Romania’s new president
We are ushered down some stairs beside a Lebanese restaurant and along a path next to a small garden.
We walk past some guards, into a private dining room and there is a man in a hoodie, offering a hand.
This is George Simion, just 38 years old but now sitting on the threshold of remarkable power.
He is the populist politician who has made it to the run-off to become Romania’s president.
The disruptor up against the mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan. The radical against the centrist.
Simion apologises for dressing down and tells me, with a laugh, that he will be wearing a suit “when I meet President Zelenskyy and President Trump“.
The name Trump will crop up a few times in our conversation.
On the table next to him is a red Make America Great Again baseball hat. Simion makes no secret of his admiration for Donald Trump.
So what, I ask, does he take from the leadership style of the American president?
“His way of speaking the truth,” he replies. “His way of defending one’s country and one’s interests.
“We are all, in Europe and America, fed up with politically correct people who undermine our freedom and opinions.
“We are fighting for freedom of speech and free election. We are fighting for God against evil.”
At just 38, George Simion is on the cusp of remarkable power. Pic: Reuters
The remarkable thing about this election is that, really, it shouldn’t be happening.
It is six months since the initial presidential election was annulled, after the country’s highest court decided that the leading candidate, the nationalist Calin Georgescu, should be disqualified due to allegations of electoral interference by Russia.
Simion could be the one to prosper from that. But – and here’s the twist – he’s also been one of the loudest critics of the decision to cancel the election.
He blames “the deep state” for trying to subvert democracy, and insists the move has failed.
“They managed to build a big statue for Mr Georgescu to make him a big victim,” says Simion.
“Clearly the majority of the Romanian people now hate their guts for how they manage to govern the country.
“We are getting poorer and poorer and that’s why we have so many Romanians in Great Britain.”
And in the biggest twist of all, he now talks of bringing Georgescu into government, should he win the presidency.
So, I ask, would he really offer the job of prime minister to Georgescu – a man who once told me that COVID wasn’t real and that he was being undermined by a global conspiracy led by George Soros?
“If we have a landslide victory tomorrow – and if Calin Georgescu wants it – then yes, of course.
“They tried to ban me, kick me out, bribe me – with lots and lots of cash. I’m not for sale. I’m doing this for my country and for honour.”
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Calin Georgescu denies Russian links
He said he would follow Trump’s lead on Ukraine, which neighbours Romania, and played down any suggestion that he would extend a hand of friendship to Moscow.
“Russia left really bad memories here, and many scars, and we don’t believe that in the foreseeable future we would have good relations,” he told me.
He did support peace negotiations between Russia and the United States, insisting they would need to include security guarantees, particularly to protect countries such as Romania and the Baltic states.
Read more:
The chilling moment in Russia-Ukraine peace talks
It’s the Trump era and Putin knows how to exploit it
‘We want you Brits back’
And there was a word, too, for Britain. Simion told me he regretted Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, but said he could understand “why you want to get away from Ursula von der Leyden and Emmanuel Macron”.
Romania, he emphasised, had worked hard to get a place within the EU and NATO “so we are here to stay and won’t be going anywhere”.
But he said the EU should focus on being an economic project – the idea of a more federal Europe seems to horrify him.
“We would like more and more cooperation with you British,” he said.
“We feel bad that we are not in the same single market and we share lots of history together and we want you Brits back.
“I learned much more about British culture and civilisation during the English lessons in my school than many of your high school kids do. So we hope to have the same future as part of the free world.”
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‘It will be a landslide’
Our time is up, but before I leave he shows me a chart on the wall, marked with predictions from his team.
The most optimistic has him winning with 57% of the vote, but he disagrees.
“It will be a landslide,” he tells me. “At least 60%.”
He may not have decades of experience, but he does not lack for confidence.
They rose to their feet in ecstatic surprise, shouting “heydar, heydar” – a Shia victory chant.
This was the first public appearance of their supreme leader since Israel began attacking their country.
He emerged during evening prayers in his private compound. He said nothing but looked stern and resolute as he waved to the crowd.
He has spent the last weeks sequestered in a bunker, it is assumed, for his safety following numerous death threats from Israel and the US.
His re-emergence suggests a return to normality and a sense of defiance that we have witnessed here on the streets of Tehran too.
Earlier, we had filmed as men in black marched through the streets of the capital to the sound of mournful chants and the slow beat of drums, whipping their backs with metal flails.
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Defiance on streets of Tehran
This weekend they mark the Shia festival of Ashura as they have for 14 centuries. But this year has poignant significance for Iranians far more than most.
The devout remember the betrayal and death of Imam Hussein as if it happened yesterday. We filmed men and women weeping as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine in northern Tehran.
The armies of the Caliph Yazid killed the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh-century Battle of Karbala.
Shiite Muslims mark the anniversary every year and reflect on the virtue it celebrates, of resistance against oppression and injustice.
But more so than ever in the wake of Israel and America’s attacks on their country.
The story is one of prevailing over adversity and deception. A sense of betrayal is keenly felt here among people and officials.
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Many Iranians believe they were lured into pursuing diplomacy as part of a ruse by the US.
Iran believed it was making diplomatic progress in talks with America it hoped could lead to a deal. Then Israel launched its attacks and, instead of condemning them, the US joined in.
Death to Israel chants resounded outside the mosque in skies which were filled for 12 days with the sounds of Israeli jets. There is a renewed sense of defiance here.
One man told us: “The lesson to be learned from Hussein is not to give in to oppression even if it is the most powerful force in the world.”
A woman was dismissive about the US president. “I don’t think about Trump, nobody likes him. He always wants to attack too many countries.”
Pictures on billboards nearby draw a line between Imam Hussein’s story and current events. The seventh-century imam on horseback alongside images of modern missiles and drones from the present day.
Other huge signs remember the dead. Iran says almost 1,000 people were killed in the strikes, many of them women and children.
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Officially Iran is projecting defiance but not closing the door to diplomacy.
Government spokeswoman Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani told Sky News that Israel should not even think about attacking again.
“We are very strong in defence and as state officials have announced, this time Israel will receive an even stronger response compared to previous times,” she said.
“We hope that Israel will not make such a mistake.”
But there is also a hint of conciliation: Senior Iranian officials have told Sky News that back-channel efforts are under way to explore new talks with the US.
Israel had hoped its attacks could topple the Iranian leadership. That proved unfounded, the government is in control here.
For many Iranians, it seems quite the opposite happened – the 12-day war has brought them closer together.
To the sound of mournful chants and the slow beat of drums, they march, whipping their backs with metal flails.
It is an ancient ceremony going back almost 14 centuries – the Shia commemoration of Ashura.
But this year in particular has poignant significance for Iranians.
The devout remember the betrayal and death of the Imam Hussein as if it happened yesterday.
Iranians gather ahead of Ashura
We filmed men and women weep as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine in northern Tehran.
The grandson of the Prophet Muhammad was killed by the armies of the Caliph Yazid in the seventh century Battle of Karbala.
Shia Muslims mark the anniversary every year and reflect on the virtue it celebrates – of resistance against oppression and injustice. But more so than ever this year, in the wake of Israel and America’s attacks on their country.
The story is one of prevailing over adversity and deception. A sense of betrayal is keenly felt here by people and officials.
Men and women weeped as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine
Many Iranians believe they were lured into pursuing diplomacy as part of a ruse by the US.
Iran believed it was making diplomatic progress in talks with America, which it hoped could lead to a deal. Then Israel launched its attacks and, instead of condemning them, the US joined in.
“Death to Israel” chants resounded outside the mosque in skies that for 12 days were filled with the sounds of Israeli jets.
There is a renewed sense of defiance here.
One man told us: “The lesson to be learned from Hussein is not to give in to oppression, even if it is the most powerful force in the world.”
‘I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him,’ one woman tells Sky News
A woman was dismissive about the US president.
“I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him. He always wants to attack too many countries.”
Pictures on billboards nearby link Imam Hussein’s story and current events. They show the seventh century imam on horseback alongside images of modern missiles and drones from the present day.
Other huge signs remember the dead. Iran says almost 1,000 people were killed in the strikes, many of them women and children.
Officially Iran is projecting defiance, but not closing the door to diplomacy.
Government spokeswoman Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani told Sky News that Israel should not even think about attacking again.
“We are very strong in defence, and as state officials have announced, this time Israel will receive an even stronger response compared to previous times. We hope that Israel will not make such a mistake.”
Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani said it would be a mistake for Israel to attack again
But there is also a hint of conciliation. Senior Iranian officials have told Sky News back-channel efforts are under way to explore new talks with the US.
Israel had hoped its attacks could topple the Iranian leadership. Those hopes proved unfounded. The government is in control here.
For many Iranians it seems quite the opposite happened – the 12-day war has brought them closer together.
World
Two security workers injured after grenades thrown at aid site, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says
Two American security workers in Gaza were injured after grenades were thrown during food distribution in Khan Younis, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has said.
In a statement, the US and Israeli-backed aid group said a targeted terrorist attack was carried out at one of its sites in southern Gaza on Saturday morning.
The two Americans injured “are receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition,” it said, adding that the delivery of aid was “otherwise successful” and that “no local aid workers or civilians were harmed”.
GHF didn’t say exactly when the incident happened but claimed Hamas was behind the attack, adding: “GHF has repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers, and the civilians who rely on our sites for food.
“Today’s attack tragically affirms those warnings.”
Later, the aid group posted a picture on social media, which it said showed “fragments of a grenade packed with ball bearings” that was used in the attack.
Asked by Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, whether the two injured individuals were responsible for handing out aid or were responsible for providing security, GHF said they were “American security workers” and “two American veterans.”
The aid group did not provide specific evidence that Hamas was behind the attack.
The US and Israeli-backed group has been primarily responsible for aid distribution since Israel lifted its 11-week blockade of the Gaza Strip in May.
Read more:
Hamas gives ‘positive’ response to ceasefire proposal
Outcry as Israeli strike hits school
94 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, health staff say
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It comes after Sky News analysis showed GHF aid distributions are associated with a significant increase in deaths in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, 600 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid from GHF sites as of 3 July, which charities and the UN have branded “death traps”.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press has reported that Israeli-backed American contractors guarding GHF aid centres in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades.
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Contractors allege colleagues ‘fired on Palestinians’
GHF has vehemently denied the accusations, adding that it investigated AP’s allegations and found them to be “categorically false”.
Israel’s military added that it fires only warning shots and is investigating reports of civilian harm.
It denies deliberately shooting at any innocent civilians and says it’s examining how to reduce “friction with the population” in the areas surrounding the distribution centres.
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