December 6 – Amid the political upheaval in Romania, FA president Răzvan Burleanu (pictured) has come out in defense of a pro-European future.
Two weeks ago, hardline nationalist Calin Georgescu won the first round of voting in the presidential elections, coming almost out of nowhere to cause a major upset that might reshape the future of the country. Georgescu ran on a campaign of conservative values and in opposition to both Nato and European Institutions.
In a rare outspoken political statement by a European FA president, the FRF president Burleanu said he believes that it’s crucial for Romania to consolidate ties with Europe. In a statement.
“Romania must remain an example of stability, coherence and development in our region. We have a huge opportunity. Through European values, we are building not only a stronger nation, but also a sport that is the pride of all.”
Romanian authorities have revealed details of a potential major attempt to interfere in the elections using the social media platform TikTok, and via a series of cyber-attacks. The revelations point towards Russia attempting to influence the election.
Burleanu asked: “Why, in 2024, do we want to go back 35 years, before 1989, or to go through the difficult years of instability again?!”
“Back then, the state controlled everything, absolutely everything, not only football, but also our private lives. After 1990, Romania timidly entered a European trajectory marked by many ups and downs,” he continued.
“Our country in general and football in particular became victims of unscrupulous domestic predators. The democratic transition of our country was a hard lesson that we learned living in Romania day by day and that has greatly matured us. That is why we must not forget the past, still recent for those of my generation, because we risk currently making wrong decisions for the future.”
He highlighted that Romania joined the EU in 2007 and ever since has gone “through a broad process of Europeanization.” Burleanu concluded his statement with the words: “Romania’s future is in Europe!”
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