Romania’s Shock Election Puts NATO’s Eastern Flank in Play

The winner of the first round of the presidential race is critical of NATO and the EU.

1346

The first casualty of Romania’s presidential election was the opinion polls – none of which proved accurate. The second might be the country’s post-communist ideals, including its pro-Western orientation. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu emerged as the surprise leader after the first round of voting, held on Nov. 24. With 22.9 percent of the vote, the […]

This article is for subscribers only

Join thousands of readers who rely on GPF for clear-eyed geopolitical analysis.

$79 per year Save 27% vs. monthly
Full access to all daily analysis & forecasts
George Friedman's geopolitical insights
2026 Forecast & Special Collection on the Middle East
100% reader-supported
Subscribe Now

30-day money-back guarantee


Already a subscriber? Log in

Antonia Colibasanu
Antonia Colibasanu is Senior Geopolitical Analyst at Geopolitical Futures and Senior Fellow for Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. She has published several works on geopolitics and geoeconomics, including "Geopolitics, Geoeconomics and Borderlands: A Study of a Changing Eurasia and Its Implications for Europe" and "Contemporary Geopolitics and Geoeconomics". She is also associate professor of geopolitics and geoeconomics on international relations at the Romanian National University of Political Studies and Public Administration. She is a senior expert associate with the Romanian New Strategy Center think tank and a member of the Scientific Council of Real Elcano Institute. Prior to Geopolitical Futures, Dr. Colibasanu spent more than 10 years with Stratfor in various positions, including as partner for Europe and vice president for international marketing. Prior to joining Stratfor in 2006, Dr. Colibasanu held a variety of roles with the World Trade Center Association in Bucharest. Dr. Colibasanu holds a master’s degree in International Project Management, and she is an alumna of the International Institute on Politics and Economics at Georgetown University. Her doctorate is in International Business and Economics from Bucharest’s Academy of Economic Studies, and her thesis focused on country-level risk analysis and investment decision-making processes by transnational companies.