George Simion, deputy in the Romanian Parliament, will run for the presidency of Romania, supported by the AUR party. Simion is known as a civic activist, ultras, controversial figure of Romanian politics, but also for the scandals caused over time.
George Simion PHOTO The truth
George Simion is 37 years old and is a member of the Romanian Parliament. He announced his candidacy for the presidency of Romania, supported by AUR, a conservative, nationalist, right-wing party. Simion is a well-known character in Romania, being involved both in unionist civic actions, but also in various scandals and protests on various topics.
From candles for Iliescu to unionist actions and bans in the Republic of Moldova
George Simion is a graduate of the “Gheorghe Lazăr” National College in Bucharest and holds a degree in Administration and Business from the University of Bucharest. In 2010, he also graduated from the master’s program at the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University in Iași, with the theme “Crimes of Communism”. Simion became noticed in 2009, when he lit candles for Ion Iliescu, in front of the house, on his 79th birthday.
Then, in 2010, he is the protagonist of an incident, also with Ion Iliescu. Simion threw money at the former president of Romania at a book launch. George Simion made a name for himself as a civic activist. Moreover, he had launched the unionist platform “Action 2012”, campaigning for the unification of Romania with Bessarabia. Moreover, the name of the platform is symbolic, representing the moment of the completion of two centuries since the annexation of Bessarabia by the Tsarist Empire.
Over the years, several actions have been coordinated both on the territory of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Including protests like the one in 2012, from Bălți, entitled “Bălți feels Romanian”. In 2018 in Chisinau, Simion organized the “Great Centennial Gathering” event in Chisinau, which was attended by 100,000 people. Actions in the Republic of Moldova, in particular, resulted in bans from the Moldovan state, for George Simion. He was expelled for the last time in 2018, receiving a 5-year ban on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
From the stadium lawn to politics
George Simion was also noted for his ultras activity. He admitted to various publications that he actively participated in ultras galleries. In fact, Simion is a co-founder of the group “Uniți sub tricolor”, an ultras group famous for xenophobic, racist chants and violent incidents.
Like those from the match between Andorra and Romania, from 2023. George Simion enters politics, in 2019. After participating, unsuccessfully, in the European Parliament elections, from the same year, as an independent, he establishes the AUR party, alongside Claudiu Later, known as the leader of the Coalition for the Family and organizer of the 2018 referendum. AUR, classified by a part of the population as an ultra-nationalist party, especially because conservative, unionist ideas, references to Greater Romania, anti-European and anti- migration, was the big electoral surprise in 2020, managing to reach the electoral threshold in the parliamentary elections. This is how George Simion became a deputy in the Romanian Parliament. During that period, Diana Șoșoacă was also a member of the AUR group, who became a senator with the support of the AUR.
Controversies and scandals
George Simion was the protagonist of several controversies and scandals, including in the Romanian Parliament. For example, in 2022, the General Prosecutor’s Office reported after George Simion caused a scandal in the Parliament and assaulted Virgil Popescu, the Minister of Energy, from that date. While Virgil Popescu was giving his speech, George Simion went to the stand and assaulted him, grabbing him by the back of the head. Another scandal in which George Simion was involved and which made waves in the press was the one at Timișoara City Hall. More precisely, Simion, who was in Timișoara, in January 2022, to collect signatures for the dismissal of President Klaus Iohannis, entered the Timișoara City Hall, together with a group of AUR supporters but also representatives of the New Right, an extreme organization right. Simion was asking the mayor of Timisoara, Dominic Fritz, for an audience. The group of protesters was stopped by City Hall employees and local police.
In fact, Simion was also noted for his colorful language, exchanging insults with Alfred Simonis. Diana Șoșoacă, in an exchange of words, told her “I am sexually assaulting you, you scroafo!”. Another controversy related to George Simion was provoked by Anatol Șalaru, former Minister of Defense in the Republic of Moldova. He claimed that 12 years ago, Simion had a meeting in Chernivtsi with a head of the FSB, the Russian secret service. Anatol Șalaru said that he had the information from the director of the Intelligence and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova. AUR denied any connection between George Simion and the FSB, including that meeting.
George Simion’s party was also known for the anti-vaccination rallies and protests organized in Bucharest. At a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Health, the protesters wanted to enter the institution’s premises. To top it off, even though supporters of his party campaigned against mandatory vaccination, George Simion declared that he would vaccinate his children and that he was not an anti-vaccineist.
Country wedding with 10,000 guests
George Simion made waves with a private event of major proportions. More specifically, the wedding with his wife Ilinca, from the summer of 2022. The event was organized in Măciuca, in Vâlcea and the expected number of guests was 10,000. Of those who had announced their presence, only a quarter came. It was an incredible event in the fields of Măciuca, with tents of folk craftsmen from all regions of the country, with areas where food was served, including sarmales, pastrami mutton or steak. There were horse shows on historical themes and hot air balloon rides. George Simion and his wife were dressed in folk costumes and followed the traditional steps of a peasant wedding. There was no lack of music. For a number of analysts and political or social commentators, Simion’s wedding had similarities with that of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, the leader of the legionary movement, organized in 1925, in Crângu, near Focșani.
“It’s the same wedding, almost 100 years apart. As a result, the context is different, but the wedding is a political event, not a simple, mundane one, it is a “popular” event, but in quotation marks. An event that emphasizes the “good” and “healthy” traditions of the Romanian people in relation to the “unhealthy” habits of the elites. The elites are copying, aren’t they, Western weddings, seen in movies, on TV, etc. So the event was meant to deepen the gap between the people and the elites, exactly the same thing that those who organized the wedding in Crângu, near Focșani, intended in 1925″said political scientist Cristian Pârvulescu, dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences from Bucharest, for Free Europe Romania.
George Simion did not lie even at his son’s baptism, which took place in July of this year. The party was organized in Gura Humorului, in Suceava county. 1000 guests were invited, there were four godparents, and the country party did not lack plenty of food but also live music.
MP CV
According to his activity registered at the Romanian Parliament, George Simion had 204 legislative initiatives, two initiated decision projects, and 79 interpellations and questions. In addition, he spoke in plenary 20 times. According to the CV on the Parliament page, George Simion was born in 1986 in Focșani, Vrancea county. He is married and has a child. According to asset declarations, he does not own land or real estate. Just a 2006 Ford Fiesta. According to the wealth declaration, George Simion and his wife live only on wages. He collects 137,402 lei annually, parliamentary allowance, and his wife 8,250 lei, from the Ministry of Education and Research. Also according to the official CV, George Simion was marketing director for eight years, until 2020, at a private company.
