British media: Romania launches ad campaign AGAINST Ukip after European election success

Newsroom 29/05/2014 | 02:04

Gandul.info renewed its efforts to promote Romania’s image in the UK and fightback against the slander promoted by UKIP, this after the success of “Why don’t you come over”. The newspaper started a new campaign, which captured the attention of Express.

“Romania has gone on the offensive following Ukip’s victory in the recent European elections, telling Nigel Farage and his supporters that their country’s membership of the European Union is GOOD for Britain”, according to the British editors.

The new “campaign” (which Gandul.info recognizes is actually the “re-institution” of the previous succesful project) was started after last week’s European elections, when Ukip won a significant number of European Parliament seats, and includes posters done in the style of the “Why don’t you come over” viral posters. The project has the motto: “In Romania, things are not all right, but at least they are not far-right”.

Editors of the paper said that the campaign was in attempt to “raise awareness against political extremism”. Gandul.info draws attention through an analysis published on May 27th (two days after the EU election) to the fact that in order to recapture their former audience, centrist parties may feel “the need” to also turn to anti-immigrant propaganda and sentiment, thereby contaminating themselves with extremism. 

Reuters also draws attention to the fact that while Romanians and Bulgarians might not take far-right parties serious right now, the mood could change if the election results led to EU policy changes, especially on the movement of workers.

“We are concerned,” said Ioan Mircea Pascu, a former defense minister and now a Romanian MEP. “The big surprise is that these extremists have won in Europe’s most democratic countries which have been regarded as the pillars of the continent’s democracy.”

“I think they are moving in this direction of enforcing curbs to free movement. It is possible that this will happen. Xenophobia and attacks against Romanians and Bulgarians will also intensify,” Pascu, who is also Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, told Reuters.

Criticism of Ukip has been widespread in Romania, especially after Nigel Farage’s comments regarding his fear of “Romanian neighbors”. Even prime minister Victor Ponta questioning Mr Farage’s view of the country.

He said: “We are the fastest growing economy in the region and all politicians, even extremist and populist, like Mr Farage, should know that we are right now a success story.

Mr Farage refused to give an interview to Gandul last year, the paper claimed, after his staff said he was too busy.

Norica Nicolai, Romania’s leading Liberal member of the European Parliament has sent a letter to Nigel Farage last week inviting him to visit the country, as a reaction to the MEP’s disparaging remarks about Romanian immigrants to the UK.

“There has been quite a lot of discussion of my home country by you and your colleagues recently,” the letter said. It toldl Farage to, “face his fears” and visit Romania, suggesting he would be, “happier for it”.

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