Romania’s hard-right Calin Georgescu can’t run for president in May elections, election authorities decided Sunday.
The Central Election Bureau voted 10-4 to ban him from the rerun of the presidential elections, for failing to “defend democracy” and “allow free,fair and impartial” elections, the Central Election Bureau said in a statement late Sunday.
Georgescu surprisingly won the first round of presidential elections last year but the ballot was cancelled after reports of Russian meddling in the process. Moscow denies meddling.
The development was a major setback for Romanian nationalist parties who have surged in recent months and after parliamentary elections now control about one-third of Parliament.
Georgescu’s supporters who had gathered outside the election offices awaiting the announcement reacted angrily and broke police barriers and some scaled the institute’s walls, media reported. Protesters hurled stones and bits of pavements at police who fired tear gas.
Political ally Anamaria Gavrilă said: “We are in a dictatorship”.
Earlier reports suggested the invalidation was linked to the his reporting of his financial situation
Georgescu called the ruling: “A direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide”
A direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide! I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall! This is just the beginning. It’s that simple!
Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!
— Călin Georgescu OFFICIAL ACCOUNT (@CG_Romania) March 9, 2025
NATO skeptic Georgescu remained the frontrunner even amid doubts he’d be allowed to run. His supporters said that it was unfair that the Constitutional Court canceled the election two days before the Dec. 8 runoff after declassified reports of Russian interference.
Last month, he was charged with six counts of undermining Romania’s constitutional order, of setting up a fascist organization, and of lying about the financing of his electoral campaign. A court has enforced preventative measures on him including a ban on leaving the country or bearing firearms and on posting xenophobic or antisemitic content on social media.
As he filed his candidacy on Friday, hundreds Romanian flags and chanted: “Last resort, another revolution!”.
The Election Bureau Sunday also banned two other candidates from running, Ion Popa and Maria Marcu.
The cut off date for filing a candidacy for the election is March 15. The electoral campaign begins on April 4 a month ahead of the May 4 first round and a May 18 runoff.
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