This is John Batchel, a conversation with my colleague, Anatol Levin of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

A big vote coming in Romania within hours.

A man who is anti-everything, anti-U, anti-NATO, anti-NATO, anti-U,S, anti-Ukraine, pro-Russia,

stands a very good chance of being elected the new president of Romania.

Perhaps he'll fall short, but the point is made.

And Anatole describes how Romania's been disappointed these last years.

The promises made by the EU instead what shows up were regulators and mandates.

Here's Anatole even to explain.

Romania is on the front line of the Ukraine war. Romania is very critical for getting the supplies

out of Ukraine and the grain out of Ukraine. It is a partner to NATO, partner to the EU, favorable toward the U.S., and yet is protesting its handling by the EU after all the promises.

Much more tonight about the whole black sea basin.

Well, I think it's been a surprise to everybody, but I suppose the answer is that we should

have looked much more at the state of the Romanian economy and the fact that, you know, how many

years now, almost 20 after joining the European Union. You know, the EU has not delivered

the economic miracle that ordinary Romanians were expecting.

And while on the other hand, as elsewhere, you know, there's been tremendous growth of inequality and social differentiation.

And so there has been a backlash and that there's a lot of resentment in many countries of Brussels

ordering elected governments what to do against the will of majorities of their own

people.

And it's more and more common now in parts of Eastern Europe and Georgia to hear people saying, you know, the EU is now treating us the way that Moscow used to treat us in the bad old Soviet days.