Protests Break Out After Anti-NATO Favorite in Romanian Presidential Race Disqualified from Election
Romania's electoral bureau has disqualified Calin Georgescu, whose win in the first round last November was canceled, from participating in the upcoming May elections. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The country's electoral bureau has barred Calin Georgescu from running for office in May.
Scuffles between Romanian police and supporters of an anti-NATO presidential candidate have erupted outside the Central Electoral Bureau in Bucharest after he was banned from participating in the upcoming election re-run.
Nationalist Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential vote in November, but his victory was soon annulled by the Constitutional Court.
Georgescu, who has been polling as a strong favorite for the upcoming vote, condemned the ruling issued on Sunday, claiming the electoral board's decision has grave implications for democracy.
“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!” Georgescu wrote on X.
The BEC's ruling can be appealed to the Constitutional Court within 24 hours, and the top judiciary body will have 48 hours to provide a final decision.
The electoral board did not offer any explanation for its decision, stating that the full text of the ruling would be published online.
The announcement incited an angry response from a crowd of Georgescu’s supporters who had gathered outside the BEC building. Many protesters became unruly, attempting to breach police barriers and clashing with law enforcement, which had a substantial presence in the area. Officers responded with tear gas and pepper spray, reportedly affecting multiple protesters, according to footage from the scene.
Georgescu secured a surprising win in the first round of November's presidential election, unexpectedly garnering 23% of the vote. However, the Constitutional Court annulled these results shortly before the second round, citing intelligence documents alleging “irregularities” in the campaign and claiming, without evidence, that the candidate was covertly supported by Russia.
Georgescu is recognized as a vocal critic of NATO and the EU and staunchly opposes support for Ukraine.
Subsequent media reports, referencing preliminary findings of an investigation into the matter, indicated that the alleged “irregularities” cited by the court actually resulted from the actions of a consulting firm linked to the ruling pro-Western National Liberal Party.
The firm's efforts were reportedly aimed at undermining another candidate but unexpectedly ended up boosting Georgescu instead.
In late February, Georgescu was briefly arrested and indicted on six criminal charges, including alleged “anti-constitutional acts,” “voter bribery,” and “promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies.” The politician has maintained his innocence and requested assistance from US President Donald Trump, asserting that the campaign against him was politically motivated and orchestrated by the Romanian “deep state.” The tumult surrounding the Romanian election has drawn attention from Trump’s close ally, billionaire Elon Musk, who remarked that the decision to bar Georgescu was a “crazy” move.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
Scuffles between Romanian police and supporters of an anti-NATO presidential candidate have erupted outside the Central Electoral Bureau in Bucharest after he was banned from participating in the upcoming election re-run.
Nationalist Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential vote in November, but his victory was soon annulled by the Constitutional Court.
Georgescu, who has been polling as a strong favorite for the upcoming vote, condemned the ruling issued on Sunday, claiming the electoral board's decision has grave implications for democracy.
“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!” Georgescu wrote on X.
The BEC's ruling can be appealed to the Constitutional Court within 24 hours, and the top judiciary body will have 48 hours to provide a final decision.
The electoral board did not offer any explanation for its decision, stating that the full text of the ruling would be published online.
The announcement incited an angry response from a crowd of Georgescu’s supporters who had gathered outside the BEC building. Many protesters became unruly, attempting to breach police barriers and clashing with law enforcement, which had a substantial presence in the area. Officers responded with tear gas and pepper spray, reportedly affecting multiple protesters, according to footage from the scene.
Georgescu secured a surprising win in the first round of November's presidential election, unexpectedly garnering 23% of the vote. However, the Constitutional Court annulled these results shortly before the second round, citing intelligence documents alleging “irregularities” in the campaign and claiming, without evidence, that the candidate was covertly supported by Russia.
Georgescu is recognized as a vocal critic of NATO and the EU and staunchly opposes support for Ukraine.
Subsequent media reports, referencing preliminary findings of an investigation into the matter, indicated that the alleged “irregularities” cited by the court actually resulted from the actions of a consulting firm linked to the ruling pro-Western National Liberal Party.
The firm's efforts were reportedly aimed at undermining another candidate but unexpectedly ended up boosting Georgescu instead.
In late February, Georgescu was briefly arrested and indicted on six criminal charges, including alleged “anti-constitutional acts,” “voter bribery,” and “promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies.” The politician has maintained his innocence and requested assistance from US President Donald Trump, asserting that the campaign against him was politically motivated and orchestrated by the Romanian “deep state.” The tumult surrounding the Romanian election has drawn attention from Trump’s close ally, billionaire Elon Musk, who remarked that the decision to bar Georgescu was a “crazy” move.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
