Romania's far-right presidential candidate Georgescu barred from election

09 Mar 2025, 18:57 · France 24

Romania’s electoral bureau on Sunday rejected the candidacy submitted by far-right hopeful Calin Georgescu for a re-run of last year’s presidential election in May, sparking outrage among his supporters in Bucharest.

Georgescu shot to prominence almost overnight to unexpectedly win the first round of a presidential election last November.

But Romania’s constitutional court annulled the ballot shortly before the second round was to be held in December, after claims of Russian meddling and a “massive” social media promotion of Georgescu.

In a statement Sunday, the electoral bureau said it had adopted “the rejection of the registration of the independent candidacy” of Georgescu. It did not give its reasons for doing so.

Georgescu, who can challenge the decision at Romania’s constitutional court, denounced the move on X as “a direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide”.

He is currently leading opinion polls with about 40 percent of the vote.

The ruling sparked clashes between supporters of Georgescu and police in the capital Bucharest, with about 300 demonstrators gathering in front of the electoral commission.

“Following a decision of the Central Electoral Bureau,the participants of the... public gathering broke through the cordon of gendarmes in order to enter the headquarters of the institution,” police said.

“The situation is under control now,” police spokesperson Marius Militaru told Digi24 TV.

Last week, prosecutors indicted Georgescu on numerous charges, including making “false statements” over his campaign financing.

Other charges lodged against Georgescu are “instigation to actions against the constitutional order, in attempted form”, and “initiating or constituting a fascist, racist or xenophobic organisation, joining or supporting, in any form, such a group”.

He has been placed under judicial control, meaning he will have to report to authorities regularly.

Georgescu – who denies any links to Moscow – has denounced the annulment of last November’s vote a “formalised coup d’etat”. In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have also protested against the decision.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)