At a time of social upheaval, Christians in Romania reflect on the relationship between politics and theology

The annulment of the presidential election won by the pro-Russian candidate leads to protests and uncertainty. An interview with Daniel Fărcaș, evangelical professor of philosophy.

    Joel Forster

    BUCHAREST · 24 JANUARY 2025 · 16:24 CET

    Passengers in the Bucharest metro, Romania. / Photo: <a target="_blank" href="https://unsplash.com/@adelinpreda">Adelin Preda</a>, Unsplash, CC0.,
    Passengers in the Bucharest metro, Romania. / Photo: Adelin Preda, Unsplash, CC0.

    Romania is going through a convulse moment after the Constitutional Court took the surprising decision of annulling last autumn’s presidential election.

    Tens of thousands protested in January again, saying the democratic rights of all those who voted for the unexpected winner of the first round, the right-wing nationalist Călin Georgescu. This pro-Russian candidate went in a few weeks from being relatively unknown to winning the first vote with a strong 23% thanks to a highly successful campaign on Tik Tok and other social media platforms.

    The Constitutional Court took the controversial decision to halt the second round of the elections, after declassifying reports linking the rise of Georgescu to a campaign orchestrated by Russia.

    May 2025 is the new date for the re-run of the presidential elections, but the controversy has created a social divide and a ‘national embarrassment’ that will be difficult to overcome.

    In a country of 20 million inhabitants where 93% consider themselves Christian (7% evangelical), the weight of Christian values continues to be a central issue in the political arena.

    Daniel Fărcaș, professor of philosophy and member of the Evangelical Institute for Religious Studies in Oradea, answered Evangelical Focus' questions to help readers outside Romania understand the situation.

     

    Question. How do you see the social atmosphere in Romania after the cancellation of the results of the parliamentary and presidential elections and the cancellation of the presidential elections?

    Answer. The atmosphere is tense. Currently, Romania faces much social unrest, including public protests against the Constitutional Court’s decision to cancel the presidential elections. Of course, the protesters are the pro-Georgescu voters and the supporters of nationalist parties.

    “Western nations are not interested in solid values, but on inclusiveness. In Romania, people do not feel secure in a fluid and multicultural society”

    On the other hand, those surprised by Georgescu’s fulminant ascension are frightened by a possible restoration of totalitarianism and a possible exit of Romania from its securing alliances. This impacts the economy, which is no more a safe place for foreign investments as it used to be, which results in less Western money financing Romania. There is much uncertainty concerning the next elections, which will take place at some point this spring.

    Of course, the cancellation of the elections was the last solution to limit the very probable Russian interference with Romanian politics. It raises questions on the reliability of the Romanian institutions and national security. In brief, the decision was probably necessary, but it is embarrassing for the Romanian democracy.

    Q. As you mention, for some, Călin Georgescu’s victory was based on a massive Russian interference. For others, it was because he addressed issues (such as the maintenance of Christian values and definitions) that many citizens wanted to see upheld in an increasingly secularised context. How do you see it?

    A. The first presidential election round brought Georgescu to the foreground, a relatively unknown person in Romania. He was not at all present in the prime-time political shows or in other mainstream media in the months preceding the elections. His electoral campaign was mostly on TikTok and other non-traditional media.

    This raises a lot of questions on how he was able to reach so many voters with his message, knowing that he had no official campaign budget. A Russian interference is highly probable, given Georgescu’s pro-Russian, anti-EU, anti-NATO, and anti-Ukraine agenda. Strangely enough, Romanian secret services and other law enforcing institutions did not warn the public opinion on Georgescu’s campaign. Was this incompetence or complicity?

    “Trump’s election might have encouraged the Eastern European nations to move toward a more conservative and nationalist politics”

    Nevertheless, there is more than one reason of Georgescu’s fulminant ascension in the final ranking of the second presidential elections round. Over the last years, Romania was governed by an alliance between PSD (Social Democrat Party) – the most important left wing party – and PNL (Liberal National Party) – the most important right wing party. PSD and PNL are moderate parties, but they are supported by antagonistic voters. This stirred up the discontent of their traditional voters, offended by such a misalliance.

    In addition, the alliance promoted in public offices either mediocre politicians or poor communicators, which suggested that the two parties lacked experts. Morevoew, the war in Ukraine resulted in some fatigue in the EU societies, including in Romania, a country which share its longer border with Ukraine. This fatigue is speculated by the Russian propaganda, which suggests that Romania and other Easter-European countries (former USSR satellites) would be safer with Russia winning the war.

    The poor education of the population on the recent history, including the communist totalitarian regime in Romania, is certainly another reason. The older generation is nostalgic of the relative financial safety offered by the totalitarian regime (including the social uniformization of the society – no rich, no poor people, because everybody was… poor). The younger generation does not even realize that communist totalitarianism involved a disrespect of the human person and rights. This is the ideal ground for nationalist and anti-EU and anti-NATO propaganda. People forget that the Russian inspired communist Romania was a nation-wide prison and that Russian drained Romania of its natural resources, as war reparations, after WWII.

    And a very important aspect is the value relativism of the Western countries, including US and other EU major nations. The Western societies are contexts where Christians and other traditional groups are often considered as historically responsible for most inequalities, their communities are no more valued, and their contribution to the Western civilisation is no more recognized. Western societies and nations do not have any interest in defining their identities based on solid values, but on inclusiveness. This fosters the interest for more value-grounded societies, such as Russia, which helps people feel safer than in a fluid and multicultural society.

    Finally, Trump’s election might have encouraged the Eastern European nations to move toward a more conservative and nationalist politics.

    Q. How do all these debates affect evangelical churches?

    A. Evangelical churches do not officially discuss politics, nor they involve in any other way in politics, per Constitution. At least, they do not do it openly. Nevertheless, Christians cannot circumvent politics, when politics meets theology or spirituality. With Georgescu, it does, as well as it does with the more progressive candidate, Elena Lasconi. Lasconi’s support for the LGBT agenda is a sensitive topic and both the church and Christian ethicists are expected to react.

    “Georgescu proposes a political theology incompatible with the New Testament revelation”

    The merge between Christian spirituality and nationalism is a topic churches, denominations, pastors and theologians should not ignore. Georgescu proposes a political theology incompatible with the New Testament revelation, as the Gospel suggests that the Kingdom of God is not from this world, but a heavenly one. Suggesting that, if elected, Georgescu will act as the saviour of Romania equates him with a Messiah (or a Christ). This is a topic Christian should reflect on.

    Because of the theological topics and ethical values involved in the electoral debate, evangelicals are very interested in what the two candidates propose. But this interest results in a conflict in the churches between those who identify Georgescu as the anointed one and those who see in him a possible fake Christ (or anti-Christ), made from a genuine Romanian raw material, based on a Russian political strategy of disinformation.

     

    Q. How to pray for Romania’s present situation?

    A. Wisdom is a Biblical virtue so much ignored and extremely needed in our churches. We dearly need it! Christians need more wisdom to discern between what is an authentic Christian belief and what is a fake Christian spirituality.

    One has no difficulty in identifying non-Christian topics, supported by progressive parties such as USR (Union Save Romania) and their presidential candidate, Elena Lasconi (who, by the way, claims that some of her family is Pentecostal). After publicly affirming she voted for the traditional family at the 2018 constitutional referendum on defining marriage as the official union between a man and a woman, her public discourse shifted to a more LGBT-friendly approach.

    “Christians need more wisdom to discern between what is an authentic Christian belief and what is a fake Christian spirituality”

    She continued to display an impressive cross pendant in all her electoral materials and public appearances, while supporting the LGBT rights, targeting both the conservative and the progressive voters. This strategy proved to be wrong as a public communication, as it disqualified her in the eyes of most conservative Christians. Her agenda was, for practicing Christians, unacceptable and incompatible with the Christian ethics. Lasconi’s non-Christian stance was obvious for most voters.

    More wisdom is needed to discern the intentions of the other presidential candidate. Călin Georgescu proposed a strange mixture of Christian and Oriental spiritualities. The syncretism in his public discourse was ignored by most traditional practicing Christians. Quoting both Vedas and the Bible results by no means in a genuine Christian spirituality.

    The average Christian would probably not even notice the mixture, being distracted by the Bible verses. Most Christians would not even realize that such a syncretic approach is an assault to the first of the Ten Commandments, as it places idols beside the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

    Wisdom is virtue at work in sensitive contexts, such as syncretism. Pray for Romanian evangelicals so as to be wise enough to see what exactly hides under syncretism.

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