I have always been in a love relationship with my country, Romania. It’s the kind of relationship that’s deeply rooted, often complicated, but always honest, like a home you never really leave, even when you pack your bags and live far away.
I’ve always felt two inner callings: to go abroad and explore the world, and to stay and be part of the change I envisioned for Romania. While most of my friends chose the former, I also explored my options.
At 22, I had my first real chance to leave. I was accepted to study in Nice, France, an opportunity many would seize without looking back. But instead of heading to the Côte d’Azur, I chose to remain in Romania. I had just started my own business at 20, delivering footwear to large retail chains and wanted to give it my best efforts.
Eventually, I did go abroad, first to France and Singapore to pursue my MBA. My path then took me to London, where I worked for Amazon. During my time away, I felt Romania calling me back. Not just in a nostalgic sense, but with a persistent feeling that things were moving forward at home, and that I could be part of that movement. There is a saying that where others see challenges, entrepreneurs see opportunities.
When I returned, besides my entrepreneurial endeavors, I got involved in projects that aimed at creating value and paying it forward. I founded Adoptamstudenti.ro, the first Romanian crowdfunding platform that helps students get the financial support they need to study at top universities. I also founded Community Dinners, a community of Romanian leaders, from business, arts, tech, and public life, who gather for facilitated dinners to discuss topics from our society in thoughtful, human conversations.
I’ve always felt proud to be Romanian, whether negotiating with factory managers in China in my early 20s (where my agent used to claim I was Russian to lend me more buying power, though I insisted they say “Romanian” and show them the map), or standing on the stage at INSEAD, giving the graduation speech and telling my story: from a small Romanian village to one of the top business schools in the world.
I’ve carried Romania with me everywhere. In my choices. In my pride. In the way I introduce myself and my work.
Now, Romania stands at a crossroad.
We are just days away from presidential elections, not a choice between two individuals, but between two very different visions for our country. It’s not just about political parties or ideologies. It’s about identity. About direction. About the kind of Romania we want to live in, and whether people who have chosen again and again to stay, to return, to build, to invest, can still believe in the story we’ve been telling ourselves: that progress is possible, and that it’s happening here.
It’s a vote that brings us closer to Europe, modern governance, and educational progress or a vote that risks taking us backwards, toward extreme opinion, populism, and fear-driven leadership.
One candidate is immensely popular, though not for reasons that give me hope. His appeal lies in traditionalism, in extremist rhetoric, in Euroscepticism and in a dangerous romanticism of the past. His loud voice echoes far and wide, but it carries more intimidation than inspiration. It is not the voice of someone who encourages education, openness, or humility. His background raises deep concerns, and his values, to me, represent a step backward rather than forward.
The other candidate comes from a background in mathematics and civic activism. He may not dominate the headlines with his charisma, but he has proven, during two terms as Mayor of Bucharest, that he is determined to create positive change and he is action-oriented. He is highly educated, pro-European, pragmatic, and grounded. His leadership doesn’t demand attention, and he understands the complexity of the world we live in.
Our society is divided between two directions, and where there is misalignment, our collective strength is diminished.
More than three decades after escaping communism, many people feel more discouraged by the slow pace of progress than encouraged by the visible changes around them.
This is the real choice we are being asked to make: between electing a leader who may lead us toward national stagnation, or worse, regression, and one who supports continuing our journey forward, walking with our heads held high alongside nations that uphold education, progress, and shared purpose, as do all countries within the European Union.
For me, this vote is deeply personal. It’s about choosing education over intimidation. It’s about selecting a leader who may speak softly but carries with him the integrity, manners, and vision that a president should represent. It’s about rejecting loud populism in favor of quiet strength.
I deeply believe that more and more Romanians will vote to move our country forward, a vote that says: we are ready to progress, and we are ready to build stronger bridges with the educated and developed nations we aspire to.
Because when we choose progress, fewer and fewer talented people will ask themselves the question: Romania, should I stay or should I go?