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🇷🇴🗳⚡️ The Constitutional Court and a slew of politicians in and outside of Romania, including many top EU officials have rallied behind the Constitutional Court's decision and accused Călin Georgescu that he manipulated people on TikTok and got more popular…
However, IMO Georgescu wanted to win the game by playing their rules but objectively broke them.

The alleged Russian connexion is another thing, but the system already has a better tool, which is the TikTok campaign.

Wallachian Gazette talks about how much other politicians have spent on TikTok and the number of years they've been pouring TV channels with millions in order to promote their agenda. And I'll tell you what. It's all true. However, they did not objectively break a rule.

This is frustrating, because they are the ones actually carrying out a massive manipulation operation, but you cannot blame them in the courts for that because they followed the rules.

Now, they found something to use against Georgescu, and in the meantime, there is already one military officer calling for the army to stand up and throw the government out for taking democracy away from the Romanian people.
Forwarded from Global Intel Watch (Dina)
🇷🇴🇧🇬🇳🇱 - Dutch Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber has confirmed that the Netherlands will not block Bulgaria and Romania from joining the Schengen Area, despite opposition from her own party, the PVV. The PVV, which holds the largest number of seats in the Tweede Kamer, had urged Faber to veto the move, but she chose to uphold the Cabinet's decision.

Faber admitted her personal reluctance toward Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession but emphasized that she respects the Cabinet's stance. Previously, the Netherlands and Austria had opposed their inclusion, citing concerns over border security and corruption. However, both countries shifted their position last year, with the belief that Bulgaria could strengthen border control along Turkey and improve rule-of-law safeguards.

Despite the PVV’s objections and their call for a veto, Faber remained firm in her decision, noting that the Cabinet is not bound by the coalition's prior agreements on the issue. The PVV's attempt to rally enough support in Parliament failed, and only a few smaller parties, like the BBB, joined their motion. Faber reassured that efforts are being made to secure EU borders, countering the PVV’s criticism of Bulgaria's border security.
Forwarded from Global Intel Watch (СС)
🇷🇴 - According to Romanian newspaper Bursa, there has been no evidence released of any election collaboration with Russia, and the government has been releasing the information it does have to the European press instead of to the Romanian press.

The Information released so far only showed Georgescou receiving limited support from some firms in Poland and Bulgaria, which is not illegal, however supporters of the suspension of democracy have claimed that the firms in Bulgaria are “probably pro Russian or linked to Vazrazhdane
🇬🇷 Sole Portrait of Last Byzantine Emperor Created While Alive Found in Greece.

A newly discovered portrait at a Greek monastery portrays, according to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Constantine Palaiologos.

The sole surviving portrait of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire, was unearthed during the restoration of frescoes at a monastery in the Peloponnese, Greece, the Greek Ministry of Culture said in a statement. The portrait was produced when he was alive.

It was uncovered in Katholiko, the main church of the Old Monastery of the Archangels of Aigeialia (Palaia Moni Taxiarchon Aigeialias), a few kilometers outside the town of Aigio in Achaia, situated in the western part of the Peloponnese.

📝 thetimes.gr
🗺️ @PoliticsGR
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Forwarded from .
🟦🗳⚡️ Journalists uncovered that some 130 TikTok influencers, who were accused of taking Russian money to promote Călin Georgescu to their audiences, were actually paid by the National Liberal Party!

They promoted a hashtag, #EchilibrușiVerticalitate which was named in one of the reports declassified by the Supreme National Defense Council, to be ”akin to the TikTok campaign ”Brother for Brother” which was promoted by Russia prior to invading Ukraine.

The influencers promoted these two qualities, ”equilibrium (balance)” and ”verticality” as the ”right ones” for a Romanian president, and answered ”Călin Georgescu” to users leaving comments asking who are they referring to.

The investigation revealed the firm paying them gave them guidelines on how to make TikTok posts promoting this ”candidate” and how to avoid TikTok's safeguards for political content, which the influencers respected.

However, when analysing the posts with the guidelines, journalists noticed that the hashtags used were different but similar at the same time. Rather than using #EchilibrușiSeriozitate as was instructed, the influencers changed it to #EchilibrușiVerticalitate.

PNL paid the firm who managed those 130 influencers and didn't complain, didn't tell anyone that their hashtags were changed. Responding to journalists the marketing firm said the campaign was meant to get people to vote in general, not for someone specifically, but didn't answer questions if they knew that their instructions were deliberately disregarded.

📝: The only theory that makes sense in light of these finds is that PNL tried to set up PSD to fail after the Constitutional Court booted Diana Șoșoacă off the president candidate list, which many believed led to a scenario Marcel Ciolacu vs George Simion and liberals would have been ”forced” to vote for Ciolacu instead of Simion because a liberal will never pick a nationalist. In other words, PNL or someone within PNL may have propped up Călin Georgescu to take revenge on PSD.

🔗 https://hotnews.ro/documente-pnl-a-finantat-din-bani-publici-campania-pentru-calin-georgescu-firma-pnl-sustine-ca-i-a-fost-modificata-campania-dar-exista-acte-care-dovedesc-ca-influencerii-au-respectat-indicatiile-pr-1866568
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🇷🇸🇽🇰 Self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo authorities' take out Serbian flag of a public building in a Serbian-majority municipality

@balkan_grad
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Forwarded from Mediterranean Man (Mediterranean Man)
⚡🇪🇬🇷🇸🇸🇩 Independent investigation outlets accuse Egypt of sending military arms to the Sudanese Armed Forces through contracts with the Serbian Defense Ministry.

Other Pro Sudanese Armed Forces groups also have been getting Serbian arms through that route.

Allegedly.

@medmannews
❤3
Forwarded from Middle East Spectator — MES (½)
— 🇷🇸/🇮🇱 NEW: Serbia has finalized a $335 million arms deal with Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems, which includes the 'PULS' rocket launcher, also known as 'Lahav,' with a maximum range of 300 km.

@Middle_East_Spectator
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Forwarded from Global Intel Watch (СС)
🇲🇰 - Albanian shepherds from the municipality of Debar began illegally grazing their sheep on pastures in the ethnic Macedonian municipality of Debrca.

Macedonians in Debrca reported the incidents to the local police however they apparently refused to take action for fear of inflaming ethnic tensions. The issue is ongoing and has the potential to cause an ethnic incident between Macedonian and Albanian shepherds.
🙉1
Forwarded from Global Intel Watch (СС)
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🇷🇸 - Albanian social media posting videos of some kind of interethnic incident which took place in Bujanovac between local Serbs and Albanians
🇷🇸 / 🇺🇸🇷🇺 Serbia offers to host the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting
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🇧🇬 NEW: Bulgaria marks anniversary of Asenovgrad's liberation with wreath-laying ceremony

@balkan_grad
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🇺🇦 / 🇧🇬 NEW: Ukrainian Parliament approves purchase of Russian nuclear reactors from Bulgaria

@balkan_grad
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🇧🇬 NEW: Bulgaria faces financial crisis as citizens struggle with rising costs and economic instability

@balkan_grad
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🇷🇺 / 🇺🇦 NEW: Explosions in Kiliya, near Romania’s border, reportedly cause significant losses to mercenaries and foreign military equipment

@balkan_grad
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🇷🇸 NEW: Serbian students and citizens march towards RTS headquarters in Belgrade, escalating public protests

@balkan_grad
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🇷🇸 NEW: Serbian opposition leaders barricade themselves in Novi Sad City Hall; police successfully remove them after a tense standoff

@balkan_grad
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🇷🇸 / 🇷🇺 NEW: A Serbian man and Russian captain, Bratislav Živković, killed near Kursk on January 2, 2025, was buried in Kruševac

@balkan_grad
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🇭🇷 / 🇮🇹 NEW: Croatian pickpocket Anja Zahirović, caught for the 150th time in Italy, avoids jail again due to her frequent pregnancies

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🇺🇸 / 🇨🇳 / 🇷🇸 NEW: US bans imports from a Chinese company owning Serbian mining operations, citing human rights violations involving Uyghur labor in Xinjiang

@balkan_grad
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