Anti-Hungarian presidential candidate Simion is supported by Orbán’s campaign team

Euronews reports that envoys from George Simion’s campaign, the far-right, openly anti-Hungarian Romanian presidential candidate, have been in contact with the Orbán government.

More and more surprising information is coming to light about the Orbán-Simion connection. As we have already reported, there is huge outrage among Hungarians, as Orbán believes Simion is worthy of support, while Hungarians in Transylvania (Erdély) voted against him.

Since then, all Hungarian churches in Transylvania have spoken out, asking their congregations to vote against Simion, but more and more local people are also speaking out against Orbán’s supporters. Many believe that Orbán has stabbed the Hungarian community in Transylvania in the back, just as he did with Fico in Slovakia and with Vucic’s alliance in Serbia with regard to the local Hungarian minority.

According to opinion polls, this Sunday’s (18 May) presidential election is still wide open, so the hard-line right-wing nationalist candidate is fighting for every vote. He has recalibrated his nationalist political platform, reached out to the Hungarian community and the RMDSZ, and insists that he is not Eurosceptic or pro-Russian.

Amidst a public “charm offensive” directed at Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian community in Romania, political sources in Budapest told Euronews that Simion’s campaign representatives have been in contact with the Orbán government ahead of Sunday’s decisive vote. Simion began courting Orbán in the interests of a future EU political alliance – for example, he said that in many respects, he would like to follow Orbán’s footsteps and that many of his positions would also become state policy in Romania – and he is confident that the government can exert strong influence on the Hungarian community in Romania.

The candidate also hopes for a broader Central and Eastern European alliance directly linked to President Donald Trump. Simion told Euronews last week, “We are the natural allies of the Republican Party in the United States. Ideologically, we are perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement. So, like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, we will work very well with the Trump administration.”

Simion and the Trump administration

George Simion, the Romanian far-right nationalist and presidential candidate, has clearly and publicly declared his ideological and political commitment to Donald Trump and the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. Several important points illustrate the links between Simion and the Trump administration:

Ideological stance: Simion openly supports Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, stating that his party, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), is “ideologically almost identical” to the Republican Party and MAGA. Simion supports Trump-style populism, emphasising nationalism, anti-establishment rhetoric, and conservative social values such as opposition to same-sex marriage.

Political messages and style: Simion’s rhetoric mirrors that of Trump, including claims of election fraud and portraying himself as an outsider fighting against a corrupt political elite. He called the invalidation of Romania’s previous presidential election a “coup d’état”.

Direct links and support: Simion travelled to Washington, where he met with Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon and far-right activists linked to the Trump movement. He also enjoys the open support of prominent American conservatives such as Vice President JD Vance, who criticised the invalidation of the Romanian elections and condemned the censorship of opposition voices, even though it was directed against a presidential candidate operating under Russian influence.

Common political themes: Simion represents a political line similar to that supported by Trump, which focuses on national sovereignty, opposition to “globalist” and “neo-Marxist” ideologies, and an emphasis on “family, nation, faith, and freedom.” He has also proposed nearly doubling Romania’s military budget and reducing the number of government positions so that the savings can be spent on defence, following the example of Trump’s government efficiency program (DOGE).

Geopolitical position: Simion condemns Russia and supports Romania’s EU membership, but opposes military aid to Ukraine and advocates peace through Trump’s diplomatic efforts. He is critical of Brussels and seeks to create an alliance of like-minded nationalist governments within the European Union in the style of MAGA.

Electoral implications: According to analysts and commentators, Trump’s political successes in the US influence Simion’s prospects in Romania. Simion expects that a Republican victory in the US will give him an electoral advantage. His campaign is riding the same populist wave that helped Trump to power, targeting voters who are disillusioned with the political elite.

In summary, George Simion’s political identity, campaign strategy, and rhetoric are closely intertwined with Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. He models his nationalist, populist program on Trump, maintains direct ties with Trump supporters in the US, and wants to achieve similar political success in Romania by joining the broader conservative and nationalist currents surrounding Trump.