This is CBS Eye on the World. Here's John Batchelor.

Romania, member of the European Union, member of NATO, front line in the Ukraine-Russia war,

shares a border with Ukraine and with Moldova. Both countries in question their futures. The Black Sea

Basin itself is in turmoil. Turkey operating in Syria. You'd have to say Georgia at this point is

fragile government. And then there's Russia dominating the Sea, except in the contest in Ukraine,

the North Korean has been brought in to supplement the Russian army.

All this leads to turmoil throughout the area, no more so than in Romania,

because there's now news.

The election that was held and then annulled by the Supreme Court of Romania is now scheduled for May.

And I welcome Antonio Kalabashano, an analyst for geopolitical futures and a professor at the National University in Bucharest,

to help me unpack the candidates we know of so far.

And what are the policies? Is any of this populism?

The populism we've seen in Berlin, in London, in Paris, in Rome, and certainly in the United States on the eve of Donald Trump, retaking the office of the presidency.

Antonio, we have candidates, and I'd like to go through them to learn from you

how these candidates are speaking to the Ukraine crisis, to the European Union's lack of energy

resources for a cold winter, and for the world of Donald Trump one more time.

The name that I remember best from the

previous election that was scheduled and then annulled, now annulled, was stopped and now annulled,

Alina Lascone, Lesconi, leader of the opposition, it says, save Romania Union Party, USR.

What does Alina represent?

What does that mean about Romania's government now?

Good evening to you.

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