COP30: the circus returns to town

After six months of political crisis, electoral charades, and mass disillusionment with the establishment that followed the cancellation of December’s election results, Romanians finally elected a new president on 18 May. Nicușor Dan, the pro-EU liberal candidate and mayor of Bucharest, was elected with 56.6 percent of the vote in the second round, defeating the anti-establishment, nationalist candidate George Simion.

Round 30 of the UN’s annual climate summit COP has joined its predecessors as another farcical circus, this time months before it is even set to take place. Perhaps COP30 will be the star of the hypocritical show, as this year’s organisers have already plumbed new depths of cynicism in preparation for the event in November.