Romanian AI company Zetta, often described as the country’s version of Palantir Technologies, has emerged as a major supplier of “sovereign AI” systems to sensitive state institutions including Romanian Intelligence Service, Protection and Guard Service, and Ministry of National Defence. The company promotes locally hosted AI tools for intelligence analysis, cyber-threat detection, social-media monitoring, and disinformation tracking, positioning itself as a strategic national-security technology provider. However, scrutiny has intensified around co-founder George Bara after reports resurfaced detailing his past leadership roles in the far-right nationalist group Noua Dreaptă, a neo-Legionary movement inspired by Romania’s fascist Iron Guard. Investigations also linked Bara to nationalist and anti-Hungarian media activity during the 2000s, allegations he now minimizes or disputes. The controversy reflects a broader European challenge: as governments increasingly depend on domestic AI firms for security and “digital sovereignty,” questions over political ideology, founder backgrounds, and oversight of sensitive AI contractors are becoming harder to ignore.
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