George Simion, the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), aimed to establish an ‘authentic sovereignist movement’ and signed an association protocol with the National Identity Force and other smaller parties on Tuesday.
The Romanian nation, the family, freedom and the Christian faith are the four pillars of the party and of the new movement, Simion said, adding that people of other denominations and religions, “especially in the context of the current conflict in the Middle East”, are welcomed.
We want to show that “the AUR’s Christian identity is also embraced by Jews and Muslims,” Simion said.
Ilan Laufer, a former PSD minister of Jewish origins, leads the National Identity Force.
Simion disclosed the party’s ambitions to win the EU elections, and subsequently secure victories in numerous local town halls and county councils.
He also said that the party aims for a majority in parliamentary and presidential elections, indicating a willingness to collaborate with politicians from other parties.
The party welcomed controversial figures into its ranks on Tuesday, including entrepreneur Sorin Constantinescu, known for his involvement in the gambling industry in Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
Lidia Vadim, the daughter of the late Corneliu Vadim Tudor, a former extremist politician, also became a member of AUR.
Simion argued for the continuation of Vadim Tudor’s legacy, a politician with a history of promoting homophobic, xenophobic, anti-Hungarian, and anti-Western rhetoric.
The latest polls confirmed the leading position of the Social Democrats, followed by the Liberals and AUR.
(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)
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