Romanian Leading Presidential Candidate Alleges He's the Target of a Coup d'Etat
Calin Georgescu, the victor of the initial round of the Romanian presidential election, criticized the annulment by the Constitutional Court. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Bucharest’s Constitutional Court has annulled the results of the presidential election following Calin Georgescu’s unexpected victory in the first round.
The top court's decision to invalidate the presidential election results has been characterized by Georgescu, the candidate who topped the first round of voting, as a formalized coup d’etat.
Independent candidate Calin Georgescu secured 22.94% of the vote, surpassing liberal leftist candidate Elena Lasconi with 19.18%, and the country’s Social Democrat prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, who came in third with 19.15%.
As the nation prepared for a second round of voting, the Constitutional Court announced on Friday that it was canceling Georgescu’s victory, referencing a legal clause focused on ensuring the accuracy and legality of elections. The court stated that the entire election would need to be repeated.
“Essentially, this is a formalized coup d’etat. The rule of law is in an induced coma, and justice subordinated to political orders has practically lost its essence. It is no longer justice, it obeys the orders,” Georgescu, known for his criticism of Romania’s pro-NATO and pro-Ukraine policies, told Realitatea TV.
“The corrupt system in Romania showed its true face by making a pact with the devil,” he added.
Georgescu emphasized the importance of the people's power in a democratic state and insisted that authorities must honor the results of the national vote, suggesting that the current government fears losing its grip on power and facing potential scandals.
In the days leading up to the court's decision, Western media reported on declassified intelligence suggesting that Georgescu’s sudden rise in the election was “not a natural outcome.” Allegations indicated that a coordinated social media effort, potentially executed by a “state actor,” had influenced his TikTok-driven campaign. So far, no evidence has been provided to substantiate these claims.
The annulment coincided with accusations of Moscow's involvement in supporting Georgescu’s campaign, which were labeled “absolutely groundless” by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Meanwhile, the Romanian elections have unfolded against a backdrop of “an unprecedented surge of anti-Russian hysteria” that is expected to affect public perception and opinion within the country.
In response to the court's ruling, Washington expressed its approval. On Friday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced that the U.S. reaffirms its “confidence in Romania’s democratic institutions and processes, including investigations into foreign malign influence.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
The top court's decision to invalidate the presidential election results has been characterized by Georgescu, the candidate who topped the first round of voting, as a formalized coup d’etat.
Independent candidate Calin Georgescu secured 22.94% of the vote, surpassing liberal leftist candidate Elena Lasconi with 19.18%, and the country’s Social Democrat prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, who came in third with 19.15%.
As the nation prepared for a second round of voting, the Constitutional Court announced on Friday that it was canceling Georgescu’s victory, referencing a legal clause focused on ensuring the accuracy and legality of elections. The court stated that the entire election would need to be repeated.
“Essentially, this is a formalized coup d’etat. The rule of law is in an induced coma, and justice subordinated to political orders has practically lost its essence. It is no longer justice, it obeys the orders,” Georgescu, known for his criticism of Romania’s pro-NATO and pro-Ukraine policies, told Realitatea TV.
“The corrupt system in Romania showed its true face by making a pact with the devil,” he added.
Georgescu emphasized the importance of the people's power in a democratic state and insisted that authorities must honor the results of the national vote, suggesting that the current government fears losing its grip on power and facing potential scandals.
In the days leading up to the court's decision, Western media reported on declassified intelligence suggesting that Georgescu’s sudden rise in the election was “not a natural outcome.” Allegations indicated that a coordinated social media effort, potentially executed by a “state actor,” had influenced his TikTok-driven campaign. So far, no evidence has been provided to substantiate these claims.
The annulment coincided with accusations of Moscow's involvement in supporting Georgescu’s campaign, which were labeled “absolutely groundless” by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Meanwhile, the Romanian elections have unfolded against a backdrop of “an unprecedented surge of anti-Russian hysteria” that is expected to affect public perception and opinion within the country.
In response to the court's ruling, Washington expressed its approval. On Friday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced that the U.S. reaffirms its “confidence in Romania’s democratic institutions and processes, including investigations into foreign malign influence.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
