A vocal critic of NATO has been prohibited from contesting the nation’s highest office.
The Constitutional Court of Romania has denied Calin Georgescu’s appeal against the Central Electoral Bureau’s (BEC) decision to exclude him from the upcoming presidential election in May, according to the Associated Press.
On Tuesday, the court upheld the BEC’s original ruling, thus affirming the rejection of Georgescu’s candidacy. The BEC had initially rejected his application on Sunday, citing more than 1,000 objections. Georgescu was the frontrunner in the election rerun, with recent polls indicating support between 40% and 45%.
Reportedly, supporters gathered outside the Bucharest court, chanting “traitors” and “we are going nowhere.” They also chanted “Calin Georgescu is president” and “freedom,” while one demonstrator held a sign reading ‘Stop dictatorship.’
Georgescu achieved an unexpected victory in the first round of November’s presidential election, securing 23% of the vote. However, the Constitutional Court subsequently nullified the result due to alleged campaign “irregularities.” The politician is known for his strong criticism of NATO and the EU, as well as his firm opposition to supporting Ukraine.
Media reports this year revealed preliminary findings from an investigation into the election scandal, suggesting that the campaign “irregularities” likely stemmed from the actions of a consulting firm linked to the pro-Western National Liberal Party (PNL). The firm apparently aimed to undermine another candidate but inadvertently boosted Georgescu’s performance instead.
Last month, Georgescu was briefly detained and charged with “promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies” and plotting “anti-constitutional acts.”
The politician has refuted all accusations as politically driven, asserting that he is being targeted by the Romanian “deep state.” He also appealed to US President Donald Trump for assistance. Elon Musk, a close associate of Trump, responded to Romania’s election controversy by labeling the decision to disqualify Georgescu as “crazy.”
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