Romanian politician Simion urges voters who backed Nicușor Dan to join AUR or demand his recall

George Simion, the leader of Romania's Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party, has launched a campaign targeting voters who previously supported Nicușor Dan, urging them to join AUR or initiate a recall process against the president. Simion has publicly declared Dan's election a "mistake," amplifying his criticism in the wake of a scandal involving Lucian Pahonțu, the head of the Presidential Guard Service (SPP).

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As to make amends for the mistake, join AUR or at least sign for his dismissal.

Simion's appeal, disseminated via the "AUR at the Government" Facebook page, directly addresses those who voted for Dan, suggesting they "make amends for their mistake" by joining AUR or signing a petition for Dan's dismissal. This marks Simion's second public statement on the matter within 24 hours, following an earlier video criticizing Dan's supporters.

The controversy intensified after journalistic investigations by Recorder raised questions about Pahonțu's alleged involvement in repressing protests during the 1989 revolution and the 1990 miners' strike. Nicușor Dan, when questioned about these allegations, stated that while such repression "stains Romania's history," he believes Pahonțu is not among those who participated in such actions. Dan also noted that the SPP is a security service, not a secret one, and that Pahonțu underwent vetting, including by the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives (CNSAS), upon his appointment.

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You discovered that your vote for Nicușor Dan was a total mistake. They lined you up at the polling stations to vote for the mathematician, the honest one, the pro-European. But know that Pahonțu was a Securitate agent for a long time, and so were Coldea and Kovesi.

Simion's political maneuver appears aimed at capitalizing on the controversy surrounding Pahonțu to erode Dan's support base. By framing Dan's election as an "error" and linking it to the SPP chief's past, Simion seeks to mobilize discontent and present AUR as a viable alternative for voters disillusioned with the current political leadership.

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Any person who participated in repression during these actions morally has no place in a position in the Romanian state. Mr. Pahonțu is not in this situation.