Remus Pricopie says he asked US State Department to examine George Simion’s “anti-American” positions

Remus Pricopie, rector of Romania’s National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, says he asked Washington to examine George Simion’s political positions after the AUR leader opposed measures linked to Romania’s security relationship with the United States.

Speaking on DC News, Pricopie accused Simion of repeating what he called “Moscow’s narrative in Bucharest” and defending Moscow’s interests there. He pointed to Simion’s opposition to changing legislation to enable Romania to defend itself against Russian drones, as well as his vote in Parliament against military agreements with the United States.

“

He repeats Moscow’s narrative in Bucharest and defends Moscow’s interests in Bucharest.

Pricopie said he sent a letter to the US State Department three months ago requesting what he described as a serious analysis of Simion’s anti-American positions. He said he was making his own actions public but could not disclose anything the State Department may have done in response. He added that the letter was likely sent after AUR voted in Parliament against the bases, without providing further details.

“

I asked the State Department for a serious analysis of George Simion’s anti-American positions.

He said his letter was unrelated to a separate appeal by four former US diplomats and former Virginia governor James S. Gilmore III. In an editorial published in the Jerusalem Post in August, the former ambassadors and Romanian journalist Sabin Gherman urged Washington to reconsider Simion’s US visa. Gherman described Simion as the leader of an antisemitic party and accused him of having links to the Legionary movement.

Pricopie said the arguments in the former diplomats’ appeal resembled his own concerns. AUR rejected the accusations against Simion. Senator Petrișor Peiu called the former ambassadors’ appeal a political act intended to support AUR’s political opponents, while the party accused former ambassador Adrian Zuckerman of acting as a “political prosecutor.”

“

A political prosecutor