Former US diplomats urge Washington to review visa of Romanian AUR leader George Simion

Diplomatic call to review visa status

A group of former US officials published an opinion article in The Jerusalem Post requesting that Washington re-examine whether George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), should hold a US entry visa. The text was signed by former ambassadors to Romania Adrian Zuckerman and Mark Gitenstein, former ambassador to Belgium and interim representative to the European Union Ronald Gidwitz, former Virginia governor James S. Gilmore III, and journalist Sabin Gherman. The authors questioned whether Simion's political conduct aligns with democratic values defended by the United States, citing concerns raised by historians and Jewish organizations.

Simion has made sustained efforts to present himself as pro-American and aligned with the MAGA movement. However, many of his positions suggest the opposite.

Allegations of Kremlin alignment

The op-ed detailed several instances where Simion and his party adopted stances favorable to Moscow. In March 2026, AUR opposed the temporary deployment of US military assets in Romania. The party also resisted measures to intercept and shoot down Russian military drones violating Romanian airspace. Furthermore, the signatories cited Simion's persistent failure to explicitly condemn Russian military aggression in Ukraine and the documented abduction of Ukrainian children. Simion remains subject to active entry bans in both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The authors also expressed deep concern over Simion's unconditional endorsement of Călin Georgescu, a Romanian political figure accused of glorifying Ion Antonescu and promoting legionary ideology.

Domestic political friction in Bucharest

In Bucharest, the op-ed prompted immediate domestic reactions. Alexandru Muraru, a member of the Romanian parliament for the National Liberal Party (PNL) and brother of Romanian Ambassador to the US Andrei Muraru, stated on 17 August 2026 that Simion's outreach in the United States had failed. Muraru maintained that Simion's pro-American rhetoric is merely a facade that masks hostility toward Western security partnerships.

Simion's adventures across the US have backfired against him. The tour of the extremist at the helm of AUR ended with a formal demand by important American diplomats requesting the cancellation of his visa.

AUR dismisses allegations as political maneuver

AUR dismissed the allegations on 17 August 2026, characterizing the op-ed as a political witch hunt designed to assist rival Romanian parties. The party directed its criticism primarily at Adrian Zuckerman, noting that he served as US ambassador under Donald Trump when Trump himself faced unproven accusations of Russian influence. AUR also accused former diplomats of conducting business with the Romanian state while meddling in domestic politics. Petrișor Peiu, the leader of AUR senators, told B1 TV that the signatories took a political path rather than pursuing formal administrative channels.

If they wanted to request such a thing, they could have done it institutionally, addressing the US institutions authorized to grant, reject, or terminate the validity of a visa.

Analytical assessment of MAGA relations

Political and communications analyst Cristian Roșu explained that the episode demonstrates a specific vulnerability in Simion's foreign strategy. Simion attempted to treat ties with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as equivalent to a relationship with the broader US institutional system. Roșu noted that while the op-ed does not represent an official directive from the US State Department, the US political landscape encompasses distinct security, diplomatic, and partisan factions that do not operate in unison.