Antonescu's sovereignist tendencies

In the context of the 2025 presidential elections, Crin Antonescu, the candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition, returned to the forefront of Romanian politics after an absence of about a decade. Even though he represents the candidate of three parties considered pro-European, Crin Antonescu introduced criticism of current globalist tendencies in his speech and stressed the importance of preserving national identity.

Thus, at the recent Extraordinary Congress of the PSD that validated his support for his candidacy, Crin Antonescu said: "No one should allow me to love my country, to put my country first" and added that national identity "is not a phantasmagoria made of four or five words", but is based on real history and concrete achievements.

Moreover, Antonescu declared himself a supporter of the traditional family: "I believe, like the prime minister and like the new president of the United States, that the family is made up of a man and a woman. I believe, at the same time, that we must guarantee the freedom of any possible option in nature, including sexual. But I believe that with regard to the family, in all its forms, with regard to education and with regard to public manifestations, it is very good that this remains our intimate option. And I tell you honestly that I do not want a country in which we have a heterosexual parade in one week and a homosexual parade in another week, each in their privacy, without any parade. Two, we are a Christian country. This is not an exclusive statement, it is an identity and historical statement, but we are a country in which people belonging to other confessions, other religions, as well as atheists, have absolutely equal rights to express themselves, to practice their beliefs or convictions to the same extent. But laws, customs, practices must defend and guarantee respect for those forms that are defining for the national identity, for the national tradition and for everything that in the eyes of most Romanians are things above our current life, that we can never trample on or insult"

This type of rhetoric has been met with skepticism by some pro-European analysts, who believe that such positions can fuel divisions in society and distance Romania from its Western partners.

Another issue that Crin Antonescu must face is the role he played in 2012, within the Social Liberal Union (USL) when the social democrats and liberals decided to suspend President Traian Băsescu and untimely replace the People's Advocate. Some political analysts and a significant portion of right-wing voters believe that these actions were toxic for our country, representing an attempt to demolish previous progress and undermine the rule of law. Antonescu's supporters, however, argue that although the referendum to dismiss the president failed due to a lack of quorum, the USL won the 2012 elections with an overwhelming majority, indicating significant support at the time.

Crin Antonescu must also answer questions about his lack of presence in public life since 2014. His critics wonder whether, after a decade of absence, the coalition candidate for the government still has the necessary connection to the current realities of Romanian society and whether he can effectively respond to contemporary challenges. During this period, he declared that he dedicated himself to intellectual activities and lived off his wife's income and personal savings, something unacceptable to most of the electorate.

• Former SRI chief, Antonescu's candidacy supporter

Moreover, Crin Antonescu must also quickly clarify his ties with certain influential groups. For example, the media mentioned that, in the last ten years, he was supported and promoted by members of the so-called "Monaco group", a circle of businessmen and former Securitate officers. This is about the relationship that Crin Antonescu's close associates - Ramona Mănescu and her husband - had with Dragoş Dobrescu, a member of that group.

Moreover, Antonescu recently admitted that one of the supporters of his candidacy is Eduard Hellvig, the former SRI chief.

"I was with Eduard Hellvig in many ways before he was the director of SRI. We did politics together, we are friends, it is a close relationship, of friendship, intellectual, political and that was very intense 10 years ago; after that our paths diverged, we met quite rarely and communicated quite rarely. (...) Mr. Hellvig is a supporter of my candidacy (...). Hellvig, SRI, is their love story and their profession, no connection between me and SRI, no connection between me and Mr. Hellvig's quality as director of the service", stated Crin Antonescu, noted by the daily Libertatea.

These associations raise questions about his political independence and the influences behind his candidacy.

Although he was designated as the joint candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition, there has been speculation about the real level of support from these parties. Some commentators have suggested that the PSD may have reservations about his candidacy, given his past experiences and the internal dynamics of the party. Moreover, after Ilie Bolojan takes over as interim president of the country today, there is a risk that he will become more presidentially capable than Crin Antonescu, which could spark heated discussions within the PNL. All these uncertainties raise questions about the stability and unity of the coalition around Antonescu's candidacy.

In conclusion, although Crin Antonescu benefits from significant political experience and the support of a broad coalition, his candidacy is not without controversy and criticism. Voters are interested in understanding to what extent he can respond to Romania's current challenges and how he will address sensitive issues in Romanian society.