Constitutional Court Confirms Ban on Georgescu's Election Participation
Romanian presidential frontrunner Calin Georgescu has faced a setback as his appeal against a ruling preventing him from participating in May's election has been denied. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Romania’s Constitutional Court has dismissed an appeal from presidential candidate Calin Georgescu against the Central Electoral Bureau’s decision preventing him from participating in the upcoming election in May, as reported by the Associated Press.
On Tuesday, the court confirmed the Bureau’s ruling, which invalidated Georgescu’s candidacy. The electoral body had rejected his application on Sunday, citing over 1,000 challenges. Georgescu was widely regarded as the frontrunner for the election rerun, polling between 40% and 45% in the latest surveys.
Supporters gathered outside the court in Bucharest on Tuesday, expressing their discontent with chants like “traitors” and “we are going nowhere.” They also proclaimed “Calin Georgescu is president” and “freedom,” while one woman held a sign that stated ‘Stop dictatorship.’
In the first round of the presidential election in November, Georgescu unexpectedly garnered 23% of the vote. However, this outcome was swiftly annulled by the Constitutional Court due to alleged “irregularities” during the campaign. Known for his strong anti-NATO and anti-EU stance, Georgescu opposes any support for Ukraine.
Preliminary findings from an investigation into the election scandal, which surfaced in media reports earlier this year, suggested that the “irregularities” stemmed from the actions of a consulting firm linked to the pro-Western National Liberal Party. This firm allegedly attempted to undermine another candidate but inadvertently aided Georgescu’s campaign instead.
Georgescu was briefly arrested last month and charged with “promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies” and conspiring to commit “anti-constitutional acts.”
He has dismissed these accusations as politically motivated, asserting that he is being targeted by the Romanian “deep state,” and has sought assistance from US President Donald Trump. Elon Musk, a billionaire and close ally of Trump, described the decision to exclude Georgescu from the election as “crazy.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Tuesday, the court confirmed the Bureau’s ruling, which invalidated Georgescu’s candidacy. The electoral body had rejected his application on Sunday, citing over 1,000 challenges. Georgescu was widely regarded as the frontrunner for the election rerun, polling between 40% and 45% in the latest surveys.
Supporters gathered outside the court in Bucharest on Tuesday, expressing their discontent with chants like “traitors” and “we are going nowhere.” They also proclaimed “Calin Georgescu is president” and “freedom,” while one woman held a sign that stated ‘Stop dictatorship.’
In the first round of the presidential election in November, Georgescu unexpectedly garnered 23% of the vote. However, this outcome was swiftly annulled by the Constitutional Court due to alleged “irregularities” during the campaign. Known for his strong anti-NATO and anti-EU stance, Georgescu opposes any support for Ukraine.
Preliminary findings from an investigation into the election scandal, which surfaced in media reports earlier this year, suggested that the “irregularities” stemmed from the actions of a consulting firm linked to the pro-Western National Liberal Party. This firm allegedly attempted to undermine another candidate but inadvertently aided Georgescu’s campaign instead.
Georgescu was briefly arrested last month and charged with “promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies” and conspiring to commit “anti-constitutional acts.”
He has dismissed these accusations as politically motivated, asserting that he is being targeted by the Romanian “deep state,” and has sought assistance from US President Donald Trump. Elon Musk, a billionaire and close ally of Trump, described the decision to exclude Georgescu from the election as “crazy.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
