George Simion aims to strengthen ties with global sovereigntists and gain a bigger role on the international political stage, and his visit to the US is an important step in that direction, experts say.
George Simion. Photo: Inquam/Octav Ganea
Liaison with the Trump administration – a strategic objective
The political analyst, Valeriu Turcan, former presidential advisor and professor of political and crisis communication at the University of Bucharest, believes that George Simion has several objectives when leaving for the USA. “George Simion has several goals. First, he wants to be perceived as having ties to the new American administration, from where the sovereigns of the Western world come to take light and be blessed. It is the desire of any political leader to be perceived as having connections in the White House“, says Turcan.
Furthermore, Turcan explains that the international politics of many politicians involves building relationships with American officials. “This is the time when many politicians run to Washington for various events organized by lobbyists, but few manage to shake hands with Trump. If he held an important position in Romania, he would have a good chance of becoming relevant to the new American administration“, he adds.
Another major goal for Simion, Turcan says, is to understand the Trump team’s courses of action, who they might be able to build ties with, and who are the key people who can open doors for future collaborations. “However, George Simion wants to be the only sovereignist in Romania with relations in the new administration. Probably knowing that some have tried very hard to get in touch with the Trump team, he is also going there to make sure that other sovereignists from Romania do not become dialogue partners for the new administration“, concludes the specialist.
George Simion and the Trump political wave
Sociologist Vladimir Ionaș adds another dimension to this analysis, focusing on George Simion’s political motivations. He believes that the AUR leader wants to associate himself with the global sovereignist current supported by Donald Trump, and this is an important stake for any politician on this spectrum. “The reasons are very clear. The fact that George Simion wants to ride the same political wave born by Donald Trump in 2016. Basically, Donald Trump is the supreme exponent of the sovereignist movements from which George Simion also claims himself”says Ionaș.
For Simion, the association with Trump is not only a political opportunity, but also a major distinction. “The association with Donald Trump is practically for any sovereignist politician, the biggest ‘distinction’. It is true that George Simion’s presence there is not directly related to Donald Trump, it is not very far-reaching, but still his mere presence there creates a connection and he is happy and satisfied that he can do it“, explains the sociologist.
Ionaș also points out that Simion wants to build an image of himself as the leader of the sovereignist movements in Romania, claiming that after the victory of Donald Trump, the sovereignist leaders in Romania want to associate their image with his success. “These are the reasons, to claim back from the same political current and, of course, now after the victory of Donald Trump, to show that he is the representative of the political current in America that won America in Romania“, concludes Ionaș.
