site.btaRomanian Presidential Candidate George Simion Presses US Ambassador Muraru to Quit over Visa-Waiver Election Dispute

Romanian media reported on Monday that George Simion, presidential candidate from the Alliance for the Union of Romanians party (AUR), called for the resignation of Andrei Muraru, Romania’s Ambassador to the United States.

Simion criticized Muraru for allegedly using his official position to campaign against him during the peak of the electoral race, calling this a serious violation of democratic principles. Simion stated that Muraru's actions had nothing to do with diplomacy and called it a national disgrace for a public official to act as a political agitator against a presidential candidate, Simion said, according to Digi24.

Events unfolded after Muraru strongly criticised the first-round election winner for remarks about removing Romania from the visa waiver programme.

In an interview with a US conservative journalist who supports the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement of President Donald Trump, Simion, who won the first round of Romania’s presidential elections, expressed gratitude to the United States for maintaining travel visa requirements for Romanian citizens. The Trump administration made this decision two days before the vote on May 4.

"The actions of the AUR presidential candidate demonstrated a clear lack of respect for Romania’s national interest and the rights of its citizens, as well as insufficient understanding of governance and international relations," Muraru said. Muraru added that anyone who advocates restricting the rights of Romanians is not fit for the office of president.

Muraru also called Simion’s claim that Romanian authorities manipulated the visa refusal rate—a requirement for joining the US visa waiver program—irresponsible, scandalous, and false. The ambassador stated that Romania’s inclusion in the visa waiver program was based on strict criteria, all of which the country met successfully.

There were many technical criteria, procedures, and mechanisms developed together by Romanian institutions and US partners, Muraru explained. Many officials and experts from both countries worked for years to align the standards and qualify Romania for the program. They confirmed that the access conditions were met and were the ones who recommended and approved Romania’s inclusion—this decision was not made by President Biden or Democratic Party circles, Muraru said.

All steps were carefully monitored and regularly reviewed by the US administration and Congress, with no reason to question Romania’s progress and performance, Muraru said.

The Romanian embassy in the United States and Romanian institutions are currently making strong efforts to convince the Trump administration to reconsider its decision and restore Romania’s access to the US visa waiver program, Muraru said.