Russia not a threat to NATO, Romanian hard-right presidental favourite says

By Luiza Ilie

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanian hard-right politician George Simion, poised to win Sunday's presidential election first round re-run, said Russia is not a significant threat to NATO, and the only risk to the eastern flank of the alliance is NATO's own dismantling.

The eurosceptic nationalist leads opinion polls before the first round of voting in the European Union and NATO state, five months after the original vote was canceled because of alleged Russian interference, denied by Moscow. 

Simion, 38, opposes military aid to neighbouring Ukraine, is critical of the European Union's leadership and has supported U.S. President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement.

"Russia doesn't have the potential to represent a significant threat to the biggest military alliance in the world," Simion told Reuters in an interview on Friday. 

"This is why the only threat is the potential dismantling of NATO. For Romania, for Poland, for the Baltic states, this is a major security threat."

Simion said the only way forward for the alliance was by ensuring the U.S. continued to lead NATO, although he supported increased defence spending by European states.

"We must work on the unity of NATO, and we must keep it as a defensive alliance. There are those who would like to create two geopolitical blocs, opposing blocs even, the EU and the U.S."

Analysts have said a Simion win would risk isolating Romania abroad, erode private investment and destabilize NATO's eastern flank by adding another disruptor alongside Hungary and Slovakia.

Simion hopes to benefit from widespread public anger over the vote cancellation after taking over from far-right contender Călin Georgescu, who topped voting in the cancelled ballot but is now barred from running and under criminal investigation.

Simion has said he could appoint Georgescu as prime minister. Georgescu has said he planned to nationalize companies, stirring unease among investors. 

Simion also said he would like Romania to buy back a controlling stake in oil and gas group OMV Petrom, which has a key Black Sea offshore gas project in the works. He said Romania should control its natural resources.

On Friday Simion tried to reassure investors, saying he would not do anything Italy's Giorgia Meloni wouldn't. Meloni is one of the few European leaders Simion identifies with politically. 

"My message for the private investors is clear: We are waiting to do business with you, fair business."

He also said Romanian farmers would have priority in the Black Sea port of Constanta. Romania has enabled the export of some 30 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta since Russia's 2022 invasion.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie, Editing by William Maclean)