As Romania’s presidential candidate who is most Trump-like in his message, Călin Georgescu surged toward victory against a leftwing female opponent (sometimes called “Kamala”) in the election’s Dec. 8 final vote, the U.S. State Department issued a threatening warning about “foreign actors seeking to shift Romania’s foreign policy away from its Western alliances.” (READ MORE: Romania’s Trump Explained: Rejecting ‘Forever Wars’ and Woke Politics) Then, from Malta on Dec. 5, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an ominous accusation: “Romanian authorities are uncovering a Russian effort — large in scale and well-funded — to influence the recent presidential election.” (Keep in mind: Blinken orchestrated the false campaign by former intel agents describing Hunter Biden’s laptop as a Russian disinformation operation. He’s also under congressional investigation for the disastrous U.S. retreat from Afghanistan and for lying under oath. As Rep. Corey Mills declared on Dec. 11, “America is better off with you not in office.”) And presto! The next day, a politically-appointed Constitutional Court of nine judges in Bucharest abruptly canceled Romania’s presidential election on the grounds of suspected Russian interference — an audacious move that shocked the nation on St. Nicholas Day, a beloved Christmas celebration. Voting had already begun at polling stations around the world serving Romania’s massive diaspora of 8 million citizens working abroad, a constituency Georgescu won with 43.3 percent in the first round, higher than the 23 percent he won domestically. In a post viewed by over 1 million on TikTok (the app accused of being the engine of Georgescu’s unexpected popularity and the locus of Russia’s purported manipulation), the candidate, with characteristic calm, called the cancellation a “legitimized coup d’etat” and a “pact with the devil.” He urged followers to remain calm. Asia Times minced no words regarding which foreign power it associated with the aborted election, running the headline: “U.S. Baldly Backs a Judicial Coup in Romania.” Devil’s Pact The Biden administration’s role in this hypocritical affair is heavy-handed. A former U.S. ambassador to Romania was on the local CNN affiliate trash-talking Georgescu for hours, day after day, before the annulment — a role he could only play with embassy approval. On Dec. 9, U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec publicized her visit to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (MKAB) on the Romania–Ukraine border, a key facility for the U.S. military and NATO. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, MKAB has served as the military’s easternmost “launching pad,” positioned to respond to threats from Russia, Crimea, or the Middle East. It’s currently being turned into the largest NATO base in Europe. To date, the Romanian government has produced no proof that the presidential election was impacted by foreign interference. Compact News, a respected independent news magazine called the Constitutional Court’s decision a “judicial coup,” explaining, “The intelligence dossier against [Georgescu] provides no clear evidence of foreign interference or even electoral manipulation.” In an English-language interview with Sky News, Georgescu emphatically stated he has no links to Russia. Regarding NATO, he explained, “NATO is fine as a defense [organization], if they take care of us, I’m OK, but I don’t want to involve my country in a war.” Two first-round presidential candidates were U.S. favorites with military credibility: former NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, from 2019-2024 (also a former ambassador to the U.S. from 1996-2000), got only 6 percent of the vote; former Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, a retired four-star Army general who served under U.S. command in Iraq and Afghanistan, did a bit better with 9 percent. Analysts in Romania think the campaign to demonize Georgescu is directly related to his support for negotiations in Ukraine. “Here’s the crazy thing,” said a respected journalist, afraid to be named in this climate. “Georgescu often says he wants to protect the interests of the Romanian people, which means no regional war, and people totally agree with him but that’s what’s getting him into trouble!” A strange development occurred on Dec. 13 when the outgoing Romanian parliament — scheduled to be replaced by new parliamentarians elected on Dec. 1 — passed a law allowing Romanian soldiers to deploy under foreign command. It brought to mind a Foreign Affairs article last spring, “Europe — but Not NATO — Should Send Troops to Ukraine,” with the subtitle “To Halt Russia’s Advance, Kyiv Needs More Boots on the Ground,” advocating for European countries to send troops directly into combat in Ukraine. Romania’s mainstream media barely covered the vote. (RELATED: Kursk Is Not Worth a Nuclear War) Damage to Democracy The truth will emerge regarding the presence or absence of Russian interference in Romania’s election, but the undemocratic strategy has already done damage. The current president, Klaus Iohannis, first sworn in on Dec. 21, 2014, announced he would continue in office until the next president is elected, but the constitution says he must leave office when his mandate expires unless the parliament passes a law allowing him to remain. “Iohannis is the most detested Romanian personality in the country today. If he stays much longer social tension will grow enormously,” observed Bogdan Chirieac, a seasoned political commentator, speaking on a popular Romanian independent TV panel. “Aversion towards prolonging the presidential mandate is colossal among the people who are reminded of Communist times,” added Sergiu Andon, a longtime lawyer and political analyst. He offered two analogies from the dreaded past. “This distain towards the choice of the people was the most shameful electoral act since 1946 when Communists falsified the elections, changing the results from 21 percent to 81 percent for Communists who at the time were sleeping with occupying Soviet troops,” he explained. Andon further stated, “The decision of the Constitutional Court on St Nicholas Day is the most anti-juridical decision since the Kangaroo Trial and death sentence given to the Ceausescu couple on Christmas Day in 1989. Not speaking to whether they deserved it or not but as a juridical process, it was a false process just like the process this month was false.” What Next Sadly, Romania and Călin Georgescu are caught between the present and future — trapped between a failed Biden administration committed to war at any cost in Ukraine (recently accelerating weapons deliveries and aid to the exhausted nation in order to escalate conflict before President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration) and a new U.S. president seeking an “immediate ceasefire” in Ukraine while speculating “U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible.” (RELATED: The Biden Trap) Team Biden is trying to engineer a fait accompli to lock Romania into war, regardless of democratic preferences. The Trump administration can’t take office fast enough. To be continued… READ MORE: Romania’s Trump Explained: Rejecting ‘Forever Wars’ and Woke Politics The Biden Trap Trump Will Force a Compromise on Ukraine The post Biden’s Last Gasp Subverted Romania’s Democracy appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.