Kremlin-friendly politician Calin Georgescu who went from relative obscurity to winning the first round of presidential elections has called on Romanians to boycott foreign supermarkets next week.
In a video posted on social media, Georgescu attacked supermarkets for opening self-services cash registers saying that led to job cuts. He also made the false claim that they did not declare profit in Romania so avoided taxes.
Like other supermarkets and shops around the world, Romania has opened self checkouts where customers can scan their products themselves.
”The big multinationals declare zero profit because they export their profit”, he said. Finance Ministry officials show that foreign supermarket chains declared profit of over 2 billion lei in 2023.
Supermarkets also pay payroll and other taxes.
Mr. Georgescu said he chose February 10 to call for a boycott, on the feast day of Saint Charalambos “the patron saint of fruit, who protects from lack and hunger, who brings abundance to the family.”
The former soil scientist has built his political message on attacks on the EU and NATO, conspiracy theories and admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He is a EU and NATO skeptic and once said he would abolish all political parties if he came to power.
Romania canceled the presidential runoff between Georgescu and centrist mayor Elena Lasconi after declassified intelligence reports revealed Russia had intervened in the presidential campaign in favor of Georgescu. Moscow denies meddling.
Last week, Carrefour Romania announced a temporary price reduction campaign on selected products amid calls for a supermarket boycott by isolationist politicians, following a similar move in Croatia, where consumer protests led to sales declines of up to 50%.
Echoing Kremlin rhetoric, Moldova ex-president is the latest to claim Ukraine territory
