The National Liberal Party (PNL) wants to see appointed a government headed by the General Nicolae Ciucă in order to engage Romania in a war against Russia in Ukraine. The false narrative is constructed by drawing a forced parallel with moments in the history of Romania when active or retired officers were appointed prime ministers.
ȘTIRE: “The appointment of a military man, a general, at the helm of the Romanian government is no little thing. The best-known example is that of General / Marshal Ion Antonescu, who ended very badly and, with him, Romania. […] Ion Antonescu, the “head of state”, was succeeded as prime minister, after his arrest, by two other generals, Constantin Sănătescu and Nicolae Rădescu, in two very short-lived governments. Earlier, in 1918, three other generals, also after a war, namely Alexandru Averescu, Constantin Coandă and Arthur Văitoianu, temporarily held the office of prime minister […] To summarize: in Romania, in the last 100 years, we’ve had a military/general holding the office of prime-minister only before or after a war.The Communists did not appoint a military prime minister either. So, we should logically ask ourselves: is a new war going to break out? We are talking here about a military conflict, not about a metaphorical war against crises, including the health, energy and economic ones, for the management of which nothing recommends General Nicolae Ciucă […] Probably Nicolae Ciucă, like Ion Antonescu , is called in anticipation of a possible military conflict, the one in Ukraine and the Black Sea area […] The idea of bringing the four-star general Nicolae Ciucă to the post of Minister of Defense and, later, as a “civilian” senator of PNL does not seem to have belonged to Klaus Iohannis, as they say. Most likely, Klaus Iohannis had to play as told [...] Nicolae Ciucă is a product of the Pentagon, which trained him carefully (2004-2006). Before, simultaneously or after that he is said to have also attended some English and “NATO terminology” courses.But the Romanians haven’t heard him say much. He keeps quiet as significantly as does Iohannis, his supposed boss. But his real boss is at the Pentagon, currently Lloyd J. Austin, and at NATO, in Brussels. Because that's how the military hierarchy works. The United States and NATO have been preparing a military conflict with Russia in Ukraine and at the Black Sea for some time. After Lloyd J. Austin's visit to our region, we have also learnt who will be the first three involved as proxies: Georgia, Ukraine and Romania […] Romania could become the base behind the conflict in Ukraine and the Black Sea. If there is a conflict, chances are we’ll have a government made up entirely of generals and colonels” Petru Romoșan said on inpolitics.ro.
NARRATIVE: Romania is preparing for war against Russia and is counting on a pro-American general as head of Government
CONTEXT/ETOS LOCAL: Against the background of the political crisis in Romania, after the dismissal by Parliament of the Liberal Cîțu Government and the failure of the Save Romania Union (USR) leader, Dacian Cioloș, to rebuild the governing coalition or to get the necessary votes for a minority government, the reserve general Nicolae Ciucă was proposed as prime minister of a minority government. Ciucă has just recently entered politics, and the fact that President Iohannis designated him as prime-minister raised a number of questions among political experts on whether Romania should be led by a former military man and not by a civilian.
Nicolae Ciucă has a good reputation in the NATO and US military circles, and he attended several courses there. His missions in Iraq and Afghanistan propelled him to the top of the Romanian Army in various leadership positions, including that of Chief of Staff and later Minister of Defense.
Moreover, the army is one of the most credible institutions in Romania, which is why it has received an important role in the management of the pandemic.
PURPOSE: To inoculate the idea that Romania is becoming increasingly militarized, in preparation for a regional war against Russia.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: The past – Romania was headed by officers before or after wars – does not set the norm for the present.
To state that Nicolae Ciucă is the “Americans’ man” because of some classes taken in the course of two years, out of Ciucă's 33 military service years, is a stretch. All the leaders of the Romanian army have attended courses in the West, either at NATO or in the USA, where the world’s most prestigious military educational institutions are located.
In fact, these statements are part of the great narratives of Russian propaganda based on the myth of the ”besieged city” calling for the mobilization of Russians or their sympathizers against the bellicose West. In fact, after 2014, since the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia and then until the largest military exercises and maneuvers carried out around the borders of Ukraine, Russia has been the one displaying a militaristic and aggressive behavior in the region.
With the annexation of Crimea by Russia, forces in the Black Sea have turned unbalanced, forcing the states bordering this Sea, but also the entire southeastern flank of NATO to be more vigilant and prepared in case of a new battle scenario that Moscow could turn into reality.
Russian narratives are trying to accredit the idea of a regional conspiracy staged by states such as Romania, Georgia or Ukraine, which are allegedly working together and planning to wage a war against Russia. Russian propaganda seeks to induce the idea that such countries are led by puppets manipulated by the West, who will send to battle the citizens of these countries only to “prove the contribution of the colony to the interests of the great powers”. The leaders of these states allegedly stand against the interests of their own citizens and have given up on sovereignty, a theme that is extremely present in the Russian narratives directed towards Romania, but also other states in the region.
Moreover, the author reveals some of the “sources of inspiration” for the article, which obviously lead to all the Russian anti-Western narratives, ranging from geopolitics, conspiracy theory and pandemic, to religious conservatism and souverainism. And the main source is Andrei Raevsky a Russian military expert who emigrated to the USA and who writes on his own blog under the pseudonym “The Saker”.
The euvsdisinfo.eu portal of the European Union has characterized Andrei Raevsky as a one of the Kremlin’s obedient nationalist analysts who propagates all the Russian anti-West and anti-Kiev narratives, and promotes xenophobia and ultra-Orthodox religious conservatism. He uses a lot of content produced by the Russian media and is connected to the pro-Russian nationalist propaganda network.
GRAIN OF TRUTH: On October 20, President Klaus Iohannis designated Nicolae Ciucă to find a majority with which to form the government. THE NARRATIVES BENEFIT: The Russian propaganda, which is trying to inoculate the false idea of an aggression of the West - via Romania, Ukraine and Georgia - against Russia in the Black Sea at the de facto behest of the USA and NATO.
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