Far-Right Candidate Calin Georgescu Disqualified from Romanian Presidential Election

Calin Georgescu’s political ambitions face a significant setback as the court’s final ruling underscores concerns over foreign interference and democratic integrity.

Romanian far-right leader Calin Georgescu has officially lost his appeal to participate in the upcoming presidential election, as the Constitutional Court's unanimous ruling confirmed the prior decision to bar him from the race. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday after two hours of deliberation, follows an earlier rejection by the Central Electoral Bureau citing legal violations by Georgescu that undermined democracy.

Georgescu initially gained traction by winning the first round of last year's presidential election; however, this round was annulled when it was revealed that nearly 800 TikTok accounts supporting him had connections to Russian influence operations. The Electoral Bureau declared that Georgescu's candidacy for the May rerun did not conform to the necessary legal standards.

Speaking over Facebook on Tuesday evening after the ruling, Georgescu refrained from inciting protests, instead suggesting his supporters back an alternative candidate. He lamented the state of democracy in Romania, urging his followers to exercise their civic rights peacefully, stating, "It seems democracy and freedom are taking their last breath these days.”

Protests erupted outside the court following the announcement, as demonstrators expressing support for Georgescu gathered with Romanian flags and religious symbols, calling out for freedom and denouncing the court’s judges. Some chants included, “Calin Georgescu is president” and “stop dictatorship,” reflecting the crowd's ire over the ruling.

Amidst the protests, important figures in the far-right, such as George Simion, leader of the opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), declared the ruling a "shame" and insisted that the populace would ultimately prevail against the political elite. Many Romanians see the ruling as an offense against their democratic rights, with supporters insisting they want the freedom to vote for who they choose.

Georgescu, who has been linked to adoration of Putin and expressed disdain for NATO, has mobilized supporters who believe the ruling elite is corrupt and disconnected from the populace. Following the ruling announcement, many protesters expressed disappointment at the turnout, feeling that the cause required a much larger show of solidarity on the streets of Bucharest.