Pro-European Crin Antonescu filed his candidacy for the Romanian presidency on Sunday vowing to defeat hard-right populist Calin Georgescu in the rerun of last year’s presidential election that was voided by a top court after Georgescu’s unexpected first-round win.
Former Sports’ Minister Antonescu, 65, who also ran for president in 2009, is known as a good speaker and is the ruling three-party coalition’s pick. As of Sunday, he isn’t a member of any party after resigning from the National Liberal Party.
“Romanians understand what is at stake in these elections: ensuring a democratic, European and stable future for Romania. Crin Antonescu is the candidate with the best chance of getting into the second round of the presidential elections!,” said Alexandru Muraru, deputy leader of the National Liberal Party.
Muraru said Anonescu was the “only real opponent remains the isolation and radicalism represented by Călin Georgescu.”
“Romania cannot afford a president who promotes backward-looking, anti-European speeches and a break with our strategic partners. The only leader capable of defeating this threat and ensuring the continuation of the country’s pro-European and pro-NATO direction is Crin Antonescu.”
The frontrunner remains NATO skeptic Georgescu if he is allowed to run. His supporters say that it was unfair that the Constitutional Court canceled the election two days before the Dec. 8 runoff after declassified reports of Russian interference.
Georgescu, who ran as an independent, called the ruling an “officialized coup” and an attack on democracy.
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!”.
Antonescu insists he is the best candidate to take on Georgescu, if the pair face each other in a runoff.
“Only I can defeat Călin Georgescu,” he claimed.
Also running for the presidency is popular centrist mayor Nicusor Dan who was the first candidate to register for the race.
The deadline for filing a candidacy is March 15. The electoral campaign begins on April 4 a month ahead of the May 4 first round and a May 18 runoff.
