Calin Georgescu on Wednesday was charged with undermining Romania’s constitutional order, of setting up a fascist organization, and of lying about the financing of his electoral campaign.
The former presidential candidate faces charges on a total of six criminal offenses prosecutors said on Wednesday after they questioned him for almost five hours. He also faces restrictions on his travel movements and is restricted in media appearances and posting on social media for the next 60 days.
Georgescu, 62, whose stunning win of the first round of November presidential elections plunged Romania into political chaos was expected to run again for president in May.
Following his win, intelligence reports emerged alleging Russian interference in the election. The Constitutional Court canceled the election and the runoff was not held.
But some Romanians did not believe Moscow meddled in the vote and blamed mainstream parties for intervening to prevent a potential win of the radical outsider.
On Wednesday, Romanian prosecutors questioned the pro-Russia candidate over allegations he was a member of fascist and anti-Semitic organization and also related to the financing of his election campaign.
Police stopped Georgescu in traffic in Bucharest and took him in for questioning.
Georgescu is suspected by prosecutors of promoting fascist ideas, of initiating or setting up a fascist, racist or xenophobic character organization, of publicly promoting the cult of people guilty of committing crimes of genocide against humanity and war crimes.
He is also accused of making false statements over the financing of his electoral campaign and of spreading false information. Georgescu famously claimed zero spending on his campaign.
Shortly after news of the raids broke Wednesday morning, Georgescu claimed that the searches were aimed to block his new presidential candidacy. Hundreds of supporters turned up at the prosecutors’ office to protest the questioning.
Amid the political chaos of the last two months, Romania’s outgoing pro-European president, Klaus Iohannis, was forced to step down this month.
Adding to the tensions, top figures in the conservative U.S. government claimed that Romania’s electoral crisis was an example of Europe allegedly cracking down on democracy and free speech. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance blasted Romania’s highest court for its with ruling.
The six crimes for which Călin Georgescu is being prosecuted:
- instigation to actions against the constitutional order, in attempted form, provided for by art.47 of the Criminal Code. art.32 C.p. rap. to art.397 para.2 of the Criminal Code.
- Communication of false information, provided for by art.404 of the Criminal Code.
- False statements in continuous form, provided for by art.326 para. 1 C.p. with app. art.35 para.1 of the Criminal Code (regarding the sources of financing the electoral campaign and the declarations of assets)
- Initiating or establishing an organization with a fascist, racist or xenophobic character, joining or supporting, in any form, such a group, provided for by art. 3 para. 1 of O.U.G. 31/2002
- Promoting, in public, the cult of persons guilty of committing crimes of genocide against humanity and war crimes, as well as the act of promoting, in public, fascist, legionary, racist or xenophobic ideas, conceptions or doctrines, provided for by art. 5 of O.U.G. 31/2002
- Initiating or establishing an anti-Semitic organization, joining or supporting, in any form, such an organization, provided for in art. 6 paragraph 1 of Law 157/2018.
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