Retrospective 2025. Democracy shook from its foundations. Chronicle of a crash averted at the last moment

Under the specter of a political crisis triggered by the cancellation of the elections, the year 2025 threw Romania into a whirlwind of unprecedented social convulsions. From the resignation of Klaus Iohannis and the thwarting of a coup attempt to the improbable victory of Nicușor Dan and the fiscal “shock therapy” of the Bolojan cabinet, the last 12 months have subjected Romanian democracy to the toughest test in post-December history.

Spontaneous demonstration, in Bucharest, following the victory of Nicușor Dan. PHOTO: Inquam Photos

The beginning of the year was marked by paradox. Against the backdrop of the unprecedented political crisis caused by the cancellation of the presidential elections, January 1st still brought the only indisputable good news, which came more than 10 years late: full accession to the Schengen area. Romanians took advantage of the freedom of movement, and the disappearing queues at customs and airports became almost a memory.

Cătălin Predoiu, in Giurgiu Customs, upon Romania's entry into the Schengen area. PHOTO: Inquam Photos

However, this success did not manage to temper the tensions in society at all. On January 24, the biggest protest against the cancellation of the elections took place in Bucharest. Thousands of people participated in the “Marea Horă a Unirii Neamului” in Tineretului park, an event organized at the urging of Călin Georgescu.

Călin Georgescu present at the rally he organized in Tineretului Park. PHOTO: Inquam Photos

The instability of the country also seen across the Ocean

On February 10, Klaus Iohannis, whose mandate as president had been extended due to the annulment of the elections, resigned from office, thus becoming the first head of state to resign. The position of interim president went to the president of the Senate, Ilie Bolojan.

Klaus Iohannis leaves the Cotroceni Palace. PHOTO: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea

Romania's internal vulnerability had immediate external consequences. On February 14, at the Munich Security Conference, the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, launched a harsh attack on our country because of the decision to cancel the presidential elections of December 2024. Later, Vance repeated these criticisms at an American conservative convention, insisting that this situation raises questions about the compatibility of democratic values ​​between Washington and Bucharest.

The criticism of the number two in the American administration fell like a thunderbolt in Bucharest, where the parties that supported Călin Georgescu demanded the reorganization of the second round of the presidential elections as quickly as possible.

The USA removed Romania from the Visa Waiver program

Despite pressure from the Trump administration, including the voice of the richest man on the planet, Elon Musk, on February 26 prosecutors indicted Călin Georgescu for involvement in a coup attempt. The investigators claim that the scenario was set up by the mercenary Horațiu Potra, in whose home a real arsenal of weapons and ammunition was found. A few days later, on March 9, BEC rejected Călin Georgescu's candidacy for the presidency. The decision generated protests, and in the Historical Center of the Capital there was violence between law enforcement and some of the demonstrators.

Incidents after the rejection of Călin Georgescu's candidacy. PHOTO: Inquam Photos / George Călin

In early spring, fears were confirmed about Vice President JD Vance's statements earlier in the year. On March 25, the implementation of the Visa Waiver program for Romania was temporarily suspended, as the US authorities requested a reassessment of compliance with strict security criteria, which forced Romanians to continue applying for B visas for tourism or business. Later, on May 2, three days before the first round of the presidential elections, the US Department of Homeland Security decided to officially withdraw Romania from the program.

The surprise victory of Nicușor Dan

Against the background of the ban on the candidacy of Călin Georgescu, George Simion presented himself in the presidential elections as the anti-system candidate to collect the votes of dissatisfaction. PSD, PNL and UDMR supported Crin Antonescu, who, however, would miss out on entering the second round in favor of Nicușor Dan, an independent candidate. This failure caused the resignation of Marcel Ciolacu from the position of prime minister on May 5.

The May 19 poll brought an outcome that few would have anticipated at the start of the crisis. Without being supported at the beginning of the campaign by any strong party and left with a second chance including in the second round, Nicușor Dan was elected president of Romania. His victory caused a wave of euphoria on the streets of the center of the Capital, while Romanians who feared the effects of the election of an extremist candidate to the highest position in the state breathed a sigh of relief.

Nicușor Dan, after the announcement of the first results PHOTO: Inquam Photos / George Călin

“Shock therapy” of the Bolojan cabinet

Then followed more than two months of tough negotiations for the formation of a new government, but especially for the adoption of budgetary balancing measures, in the conditions in which Romania risked the blocking of European funds due to the excessive budget deficit. Finally, on June 23, Ilie Bolojan took over the position of prime minister, supported by a majority consisting of PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR, with the support of minorities.

The announced measures were brutal. The standard VAT rate was increased from 19% to 21%, while the reduced rate was increased from 9% to 11%. Moreover, salaries in the public system were reduced or frozen, local taxes increased, excise duties increased, while companies were forced to pay higher taxes. At the same time, pensions of over 3,000 lei were reduced by applying the 10% health contribution.

Security on your own

On October 29, the US announced the withdrawal of approximately 1,000 soldiers from Romania. The gesture marked a paradigm shift in Washington and left the eastern flank more exposed. The withdrawal of the troops was the clear signal that security guarantees are no longer automatic and that Romania must fend for itself in a volatile region.

American soldiers in the military base from Mihail Kogălniceanu PHOTO: Inquam Photos / George Călin

On November 26, at the proposal of President Nicușor Dan, the Parliament adopted the new national defense strategy. The document marks the transition from “security through allies” to “security through our own forces”, emphasizing rapid militarization and the reactivation of the defense industry. The strategy envisages increasing defense spending up to 5% of GDP, with a deadline of 2035.

The end of the year also brought a reconfiguration at the level of the Capital, where the position of general mayor remained vacant after the departure of Nicușor Dan to Cotroceni. Despite the fact that the head of state sent signals of support in favor of Cătălin Drula, on December 7, Ciprian Ciucu won, in an election marked by almost unprecedented absenteeism. The great beneficiary of this result was Ilie Bolojan, who thus managed to consolidate his position within the PNL, but also at the Victoria Palace.

Adrian Papahagi: “All the bad was for good”

At the end of a fiery year, professor Adrian Papahagi drew for “Weekend Adevărul” a balance under the sign of moderate optimism. In his opinion, the major uncertainties at the beginning of the year have dissipated in the face of political reality: “With all our pessimism, I think we can say that 2025 was a good year, in the sense that all the bad was for good. It was a year that started with internal uncertainties through the cancellation of the elections and external, materialized by the pressure exerted by the voices of the MAGA movement in the USA, until the Trump administration became convinced that, in fact, Călin Georgescu was the spearhead of a movement that was actually securist, neo-legionarian, anti-Semitic, anti-Western, pro-Russian, extremely infrequent, and the support stopped”.

Although Romania ends the year on a note of stability, the professor recalls that the starting point was a critical one: “We started with the worst possible situation and it still ends with a timid recovery of confidence, with some more lame reform attempts, more accounting than systemic, but still real, and with a president who, even if sometimes it seems that he is a bit hesitant or that he takes a very long time to decide or that he is not yet experienced and does not know exactly the levers of the state, still cannot be suspected of bad faith”.