AUR's Simion says Saturday rally goes ahead without Bucharest permit

Permit dispute before the visit

AUR leader George Simion said on the morning of Monday, 9 November, that his party's protest beside the Parliament building in Bucharest would go ahead, even though the city hall, led by Ciprian Ciucu of the PNL, had not granted an authorisation. He made the announcement on the day European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was visiting the Romanian capital. Simion promised that Romanians would turn out 'as many as the leaves, as much as the grass', and in a message posted on Facebook he said the rally did not need an authorisation. G4Media described his stance as a breach of the law. Mediafax reported that von der Leyen was scheduled to meet President Nicusor Dan and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu, against the backdrop of recent attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea.

“We do not need authorisations.”

Simion added that, as a Romanian, he would look after the safety and wellbeing of every compatriot taking part.

Attack on European officials

Simion addressed von der Leyen directly, saying she had come to dictate to her subjects in Bucharest. He named Guy Verhofstadt as another figure who would come to lecture Romanians on democracy. He tied the visit to the case of Calin Georgescu, a former presidential candidate in pre-trial detention for fraud and money laundering, and accused European institutions of involvement in his arrest and in the annulment of the 2024 presidential election. Simion also claimed that Georgescu had won that election. G4Media countered that Georgescu had only won the first round of the 2024 presidential vote.

“Ursula, Guy and others must leave.”

The planned rally

Simion said the rally would begin at 13:00 on Saturday, 14 November, at Parcul Izvor, opposite Parliament. He added that organisers were preparing 150 other demonstrations, conferences and debates. Mediafax reported the same start time and the same figure, and quoted his closing message to European officials.

“Our message will be: Europe is not yours.”

Key dates

Two dates anchor the story: von der Leyen's visit on Monday, 9 November, and the rally planned for Saturday, 14 November. The timeline below sets out both, although the articles do not say how the city hall or police will respond to the gathering.