Valérie Hayer, President of Renew Europe and a prominent ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, is under fire for her vocal backing of pro-European candidate Nicușor Dan in Romania’s upcoming presidential election. Renew Europe has thrown its full support behind Dan and urged Romania’s Socialists to do the same.
Hayer declared she would “do everything on the ground” to ensure Romania elects a president who is “pro-European.” She emphasized the stakes, describing the election as “an important democratic issue for the future of the country and of Europe.”
In addition to her media appearances, Hayer pledged to mobilize support from the Romanian diaspora. “I will support the pro-European centrist candidate by organising meetings across several countries … to encourage the Romanian community here to vote and continue building the European project that belongs to them and gives them economic, social and cultural opportunities,” she said.
Hayer’s comments have drawn sharp criticism from France’s right-wing Rassemblement National (RN). Pierre Gentillet, a former parliamentary candidate, wrote on X, “Is there no one to cry interference in a case like this? How strange that is.”
Hayer has in the past been outspoken against outside influence in EU politics. Earlier this year, she accused Elon Musk of meddling in Germany’s elections via algorithmic manipulation on X and called for EU sanctions under the Digital Services Act to protect democratic integrity. Now, she’s facing accusations of the very foreign interference she previously condemned.
