The far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) is set to organize a forum featuring extremist parties from around Europe in Bucharest this weekend. At the same time, the party encouraged supporters to show up in the capital on Saturday, November 14, to protest in support of pro-Russian politician Călin Georgescu, currently detained for fraud.
Far-right Forum
The Europe Forum – “Vision, Identity, Education,” an international gathering dedicated to “defending national sovereignty, European identity, and the right of peoples to decide their own future” will take place in Bucharest between November 13 and 15.
According to a press release sent by the party, the event will bring together political leaders, MPs, MEPs, diplomats, and representatives of conservative and sovereigntist movements from Europe and around the world at the Palace of Parliament.
“For three days, Bucharest will host conferences, debates, and international meetings, with several thousand people and more than 200 guests from abroad expected to attend. The Europe Forum provides a framework for dialogue and cooperation between representatives of political parties that support a Europe of free nations, in which state sovereignty, national identity, and the will of citizens are fundamental principles,” AUR said.
The Europe Forum program includes thematic conferences, debates, bilateral meetings, and the establishment of approximately 60 friendship groups with representatives from other countries. The discussions will focus on the future of Europe, the defense of national identity and values, the freedom of EU member states to make their own decisions, and the development of international partnerships based on mutual respect.
During the event, the party will launch the ‘Our Europe’ manifesto, a “document promoting a vision for the future of the European Union based on the freedom of nations, respect for traditions, and the preservation of each state’s right to decide its own destiny.”
Rally in support of Călin Georgescu
At the same time, AUR will hold a large rally on Saturday, November 14, in Bucharest, in support of detained former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu, despite the fact that the demonstration has not been authorized.
AUR leader George Simion said during an interview that there was no guarantee that there would be no violence during the protest.
“I hope those in Romania’s state institutions will hear us. AUR protesters must also be protected at Saturday’s demonstration, just as, for example, those attending the LGBT parade are protected,” Simion commented, as reported by G4media.ro.
The AUR protest also coincides with the Romania-Poland football match, which will bring approximately 3,000 Polish fans to Bucharest.
Bucharest mayor Ciprian Ciucu weighed in on the issue of the protest and said that there was no permit application from AUR for Saturday. He also highlighted the fact that calls for violent protests had been made on social media.
“If it were my decision, I would not shy away from it, and it would be very simple, but a committee of specialists is carefully assessing the situation because we do not want what happened in France to happen in Romania. I believe we do not want that. That is why there is a committee, rather than a single person approving these events. It makes its decision based on the data presented. If they submit an application, I don’t know,” Ciucu said.
Earlier this week, Simion accused Romanian president Nicușor Dan of intervening to block the AUR protest. However, the party leader has provided no evidence to support this claim. He has called on his supporters to attend the rally and remain peaceful.
“Nicușor Dan was very well informed that the protest would not be authorized on Saturday. Nicușor Dan was directly involved in the authorization process for this rally. He gave the order. Nicușor Dan is at Cotroceni and looks like a despot, unfortunately, a very unenlightened one,” Simion said, cited by TVRInfo.
In reply, the president denied having intervened in any way to block the protest. However, he told journalists that the organizer of a rally “cannot come forward and assume that there will be 50 people attending a demonstration and, at the same time, use all social media platforms to launch a major mobilization campaign for participation in this rally.”
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