As George Simion Fishes in Greece, Three AUR Leaders Challenge His Strategy: “A Different Direction Is Needed”

Three senior AUR figures have openly questioned George Simion’s strategy for ending Romania’s political crisis. Gheorghe Piperea, Mohammad Murad and founding party president Marius Lulea said AUR should talk with the Social Democratic Party and other parties about forming a parliamentary majority, even if the talks were not aimed at securing government posts.

Their position clashes with Simion’s official line: AUR will not vote for a government in which it does not participate. The disagreement also exposed older dissatisfaction inside the party. The three leaders acknowledged, directly or indirectly, that they had been pushed to the margins after their views diverged from the line set by Simion.

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AUR’s direction must be different.

Lulea, one of AUR’s founders and once close to Simion, spoke most directly about the party’s decision-making process. “The reality is that decisions are not made within AUR. Decisions are made only by George Simion and are merely communicated to the other members,” he said.

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The reality is that decisions are not made within AUR. Decisions are made only by George Simion and are merely communicated to the other members.

Lulea said this was one reason he chose not to validate the current leadership team through his presence. He argued that AUR needed “a different direction”, one that was less radical and less populist, so the party could prepare to become serious.

Piperea rejected the idea that he had become a dissident, but said he had expected his views to carry more weight. He referred to AUR’s controversial amendment to Romania’s integrity law concerning the assets of officials’ partners, saying he was unhappy that the party had not sought his opinion as a lawyer before submitting it. He also referred to party elections on Dec. 10, 2025, when members voted against him, but said he accepted the outcome.

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I am not a dissident.