After the election authority’s decision, about 300 of Georgescu’s supporters gather outside the election bureau, shouting ‘freedom!’.
Romania’s central election authority has banned far-right pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu from running in the country’s May presidential election re-run, triggering protests from Georgescu’s supporters.
The decision, announced on Sunday, is not yet legally binding, and is expected to be appealed, with Romania’s Constitutional Court deciding on an appeal by Wednesday.
The far-right candidate unexpectedly won the first round of the country’s presidential election on November 24.
Shortly before the run-off, the Constitutional Court cancelled the first round due to irregularities in campaign financing pinned on Russian meddling, with the election rescheduled for May 4.
After the election authority’s decision, about 300 of Georgescu’s supporters gathered outside the election bureau shouting “freedom!” and tried to force their way through the security cordon.
Georgescu denounced the election authority’s move on X as “a direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide”.
He is currently leading opinion polls with about 40 percent of the vote.
Allegations of Russian interference
Georgescu submitted his candidacy for the May ballot re-run on Friday despite doubts that he would be allowed to run.
Romania’s highest court annulled the ballot two days before the second round of voting in December, citing allegations of Russian interference in Georgescu’s favour, which Moscow has denied.
Georgescu had denounced the annulment as a “formalised coup d’etat”. In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have also protested against the decision.
Members of US President Donald Trump’s administration called Romania’s cancelled election an example of European governments suppressing freedom of speech and political opponents.
Tech billionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk called the election authority’s decision “crazy” on his social media platform X.
Georgescu is under criminal investigation on six counts, including membership in a fascist organisation and communicating false information about campaign financing.
He has denied all wrongdoing.
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