In an era of intensifying geopolitical competition and threats to democratic sovereignty, the Gold Institute for International Strategy recently concluded a visit to Bucharest, where senior fellows met with members of the Romanian Parliament to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on shared strategic priorities. The visit came at the invitation of the newly established Romanian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS), which invited Gold Institute representatives to attend its opening based on shared values regarding sovereignty, election integrity, and resistance to globalist overreach.
The Gold Institute delegation included President Eli M. Gold, Vice President of Strategic Affairs Adam Lovinger, and Distinguished Fellows Hon. Derk Jan Eppink MP (Netherlands), MG Mahmoud Hassanin (Egypt), Hon. Rob Roos MEP (Netherlands), and Hon. Geoffrey Van Orden CBE (United Kingdom).
George Simion, President of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and Vice-President of the European Conservatives and Reformists, opened the discussions by advocating for freedom of expression and honest, censorship-free communication as the foundation of Romanian-American relations. He argued that censorship and restricted dialogue actively harm bilateral ties and warned that silencing opposition voices moves a society toward dictatorship, stating that AUR represents the voice of the people and cannot be silenced. Simion praised the RISS-Gold Institute collaboration as deeply valuable to Romania’s strategic interests and emphasized that AUR’s relationship with American conservatives and the current administration is built on political and ideological alignment.
President Eli M. Gold followed by addressing the nature of the US-Romania relationship. He spoke about the distinction between reliance and alliance, arguing that Romania needs to evaluate whether it has a true alliance or merely a reliance on the United States. President Gold emphasized that working with the current administration requires moving toward a genuine alliance, noting that every nation should prioritize its own interests and that a stronger Romania means a stronger America. He also stressed the importance of respecting electoral integrity, warning against invalidating election results for political reasons. With Romania occupying a critical position on NATO’s eastern flank and serving as a crucial Black Sea partner, the partnership carries significant weight for both American and European security architecture.
Dan Dungaciu, First Vice-President of AUR and Chairman of RISS, built on this theme by emphasizing the foundation of the partnership set on values. He argued that conservative alliances must be built on friendship and shared ideological alignment, and called for institutionalizing those shared values through NGOs, foundations, and joint infrastructure that mirror successful Western conservative models. Dungaciu presented the RISS-GIIS partnership as a meaningful step toward building a robust transatlantic conservative network, noting that “the key words are friendship and alliance.”
Discussions focused on troubling patterns of institutional manipulation across Western democracies and specifically elections. Distinguished Fellow Hon. Derk Jan Eppink MP highlighted how the EU steps in and declares election interference or other accusations if the outcome is not satisfactory to them.
Vice President Adam Lovinger expanded on this theme, noting that the deep state has emerged in many democracies including the US. These shared concerns about institutional resistance to democratic accountability resonated strongly with Romanian parliamentarians focused on preserving national sovereignty against both external and internal threats.
Discussions also touched on the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and its implications for free speech and American interests. Distinguished Fellow Hon. Rob Roos MEP spoke about how judiciary systems in the EU, US, and specifically France and elsewhere have abused the systems to collaborate on censorship, noting how the EU has used the Digital Services Act to suppress free speech and emphasizing that “no privacy, no freedom.”
Hon. Rob Roos MEP highlighted that US lawmakers do not fully understand the DSA and how it will affect American companies and citizens. He noted the need for coordinated efforts between US and European partners to establish shared positions and identify red lines regarding digital regulation that extends beyond national borders.
Discussions also addressed NATO’s role in regional security challenges. Hon. Geoffrey Van Orden CBE emphasized the need to work together and leverage NATO to build more defenses and a united front, underscoring that a stronger NATO remains critical for American and Romanian success.
Hon. Rob Roos MEP connected military strength to economic vitality, speaking about how competing with China and Russia requires a free market, which the EU is currently hurting. He highlighted that economies thrive on small businesses and decentralization, arguing that socialism poses a significant threat. Hon. rob Roos emphasized the importance of ensuring that globalist forces do not maintain their current positions of power, framing the challenge as both military and economic.
The Bucharest meetings established concrete foundations for ongoing US-Romania collaboration. The discussions covered joint advocacy against DSA overreach and similar regulatory threats, coordinated education efforts for US lawmakers on European regulatory developments, strengthened ties between American and Central European reform movements, and enhanced NATO cooperation frameworks. At the heart of these conversations was a shared commitment to mutual respect, freedom of expression, national sovereignty, and democratic integrity.
As the Gold Institute continues this partnership, the focus will remain on practical collaboration that strengthens both American and Romanian strategic positions. In an era where the battles for democratic governance are increasingly fought in regulatory agencies and supranational bodies rather than on traditional battlefields, such partnerships may prove decisive in determining whether nation-states retain meaningful sovereignty or become subjects of unaccountable international bureaucracies.