Asger Risom
Fiery French TV interview ignites controversy as Simion likens France to Iran and accuses Macron of election interference
Romanian presidential candidate George Simion has sparked diplomatic uproar after accusing French President Emmanuel Macron of “dictatorial tendencies” during a provocative interview with France’s CNews television channel.
Speaking in both French and Romanian, Simion alleged French interference in Romania’s electoral process, claiming France was backing his opponent in the upcoming 2025 presidential election.
Macron Accused of Meddling in Romanian Politics
I love France and the French people, but I don’t like Emmanuel Macron’s dictatorial tendencies,
Simion stated, insisting that the French ambassador to Bucharest, Nicolas Warnery, had been actively involved in political maneuvering.
He accused Warnery of pressuring Romanian business leaders to support the mayor of Bucharest—Simion’s main opponent—and claimed the ambassador held meetings with Romania’s Constitutional Court president shortly before the recent annulment of national elections.
When challenged by the program’s host, who warned that such accusations could damage diplomatic ties, Simion escalated his rhetoric, drawing a controversial comparison:
We are not Iran, where an ayatollah says who can run. This is your case in France, where Marine Le Pen was effectively banned by some judges.
The remarks, which drew immediate criticism from French journalists, were made during a highly charged segment aired on CNews and reported by Digi24.
Simion Faces Accusations of Echoing Kremlin Talking Points
As the conversation intensified, Simion rejected comparisons between Romania and Eastern neighbors like Russia or Ukraine.
Just because we are in the East, don’t confuse us,
he said, adding that Romania aligns with the United States and supports a ceasefire in Ukraine.
However, his criticism of Macron’s stance on Russian interference—claiming it “does not exist”—and his sweeping condemnations of modern French society prompted one journalist to say:
You pretend to criticize Putin, but you use exactly the arguments of Vladimir Putin.
Simion’s remarks have raised concerns not only about the tone of Romania’s presidential campaign but also about the potential strain on Franco-Romanian relations.