In a significant political development, Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau has decided to block far-right candidate Călin Georgescu from participating in the upcoming presidential election rerun scheduled for May. This decision comes on the heels of Georgescu’s controversial rise in the first round of voting last November, where he gained traction through an extensive TikTok campaign.
Election violations and legal challenges
The bureau cited violations of election regulations as the primary reason for disqualifying Georgescu. Following his unexpected victory in November, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled his results, raising concerns about undeclared campaign funding and the possible interference of a Russian operation that allegedly influenced the outcome.
According to reports from Digi24, the electoral bureau voted against Georgescu’s candidacy with a decisive margin of 10 to 4. The candidate has the right to appeal this decision within a 24-hour timeframe, with the Constitutional Court mandated to provide a ruling by Wednesday.
Protests erupt in Bucharest
In response to the electoral bureau’s ruling, clashes broke out in downtown Bucharest on Sunday night between Georgescu’s supporters and riot police. Protesters reportedly threw rocks, firecrackers, and bottles, resulting in injuries among law enforcement personnel. Riot police were compelled to deploy tear gas to manage the unrest.
Elena Lasconi, the president of the center-right Union Save Romania party, who was set to compete against Georgescu in the now-canceled runoff, has called for transparency from the electoral bureau regarding their decision. In a statement, she remarked,
“Decisions must be explained, otherwise people will become furious, suspicious and prone to conspiracies.”
Notably, the situation has drawn attention from international figures. Elon Musk, a senior adviser to the Trump administration, expressed his disbelief over the decision via a post on X, stating,
“This is crazy.”
Additionally, Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and leader of the right-wing populist party Lega, condemned the rejection of Georgescu’s candidacy as a
“Soviet-style Euro-coup.”
He expressed solidarity with Romanian citizens, asserting that they were being deprived of their democratic rights.
Georgescu himself has attempted to amplify the perceived global implications of the electoral bureau’s ruling, warning,
“If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall!”
He characterized the current political climate in Romania as a tyranny, stating,
“This is just the beginning. It’s that simple! Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!”
This situation is developing, and further updates are anticipated as the political landscape unfolds.