Four US officials argue leader of Romanian far-right party should not benefit from US visa

Four US officials, two of whom are former ambassadors to Romania, signed a Jerusalem Post article arguing that George Simion, the leader of the far-right party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), should not have a visa to the United States.

The signatories, former US ambassadors to Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman and Mark Gitenstein, former United States ambassador to Belgium Ronald Gidwitz, and former governor of the state of Virginia, James S. Gilmore III, said that Simion was not compatible with American values. They noted that he frequently repeated narratives favorable to Russia.

“Simion has worked aggressively to portray himself as pro-American and aligned with the MAGA movement. Yet many of his positions suggest the opposite,” the four said in the article titled “What Is the memory of the Holocaust worth? Less than a US visa for George Simion?”

The opinion piece also highlighted Simion’s support for former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, currently investigated for attempted coup.

“Despite Georgescu’s repeated antisemitic statements, praise for fascist figures, and attacks on Western institutions and leaders, Simion has continued to defend and promote him as a central figure in Romania’s nationalist movement,” the officials argued.

The article concludes by saying that the US should carefully analyze whether George Simion’s past is compatible with the values that America seeks to defend and whether he should benefit from the privilege of receiving a US visa.

“The United States has spent generations teaching that antisemitism must never be excused, normalized, or ignored. That principle should not bend for political convenience,” the same source mentioned.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos|Octav Ganea)