Politico: Trump admin took Romania’s cancelled elections into consideration regarding Visa Waiver
The cancellation of the elections in Romania in November 2024 was taken into account when the Trump administration excluded Romania from the Visa Waiver program, according to an internal note from the National Security Council obtained by Politico US.
Back in March, the US Department of Homeland Security said that Romania had lost its chance to be admitted in the Visa Waiver program, citing border and immigration control. An internal note, however, shows that the US administration considered Romania’s failure to comply with what the White House considered to be democratic norms, after it canceled last year’s elections.
“Protecting the integrity of our immigration and visa system is essential to ensuring national security,” a White House official told Politico.
“There are strict requirements to benefit from the Visa Waiver Program, requirements that Romania clearly did not meet when the Biden Administration rushed the process in its final days. We also have concerns about antidemocratic actions in Europe, including the use of law against certain viewpoints,” the same source added.
Other internal US documents show that there were disagreements over the measure. A memorandum from the National Security Council, or NSC, shows that the US Embassy in Bucharest stated that “removing Romania from the target list could affect the image of the US.” However, the committee, chaired by Andrew Peek, NSC Senior Director for Europe and Eurasia, stated that it was important to ensure that Romania “respects the democratic process and holds free, fair, and transparent elections.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Romania could be reconsidered for inclusion in the program in the future.
US vice president JD Vance repeatedly criticized Romania for banning far-right politician Călin Georgescu from running in the do-over elections. In his criticism, the official brushed aside information from Romanian and European allies regarding Russian interference in the elections in Romania.
The Romanian Embassy to the US, in turn, said that the “decision to ban Mr. Călin Georgescu’s candidacy was taken within the existing constitutional framework by an independent authority, not by the Romanian government.”
(Photo source: Kuprevich | Rokas Tenys | Dreamstime.com)
