Romania's left-leaning Central Electoral Bureau has barred populist candidate Călin Georgescu from running in the May presidential election re-run, citing violations of election rules and allegations of Russian interference in his favor.
The decision, announced on Sunday, has sparked protests in Bucharest and drawn international criticism, including from U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Tesla chief Elon Musk, who called the decision "crazy."
The Central Electoral Bureau rejected Georgescu's candidacy, based on his past statements which it claimed are in contravention of the values required for the presidential office and that his candidacy goes against the court rulings from late 2024.
"A direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide!" the populist candidate who is leading in opinion polls wrote on X. "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 can appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court within 24 hours. The court is required to rule on the appeal by Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
Thousands of Georgescu's supporters gathered outside the electoral bureau, clashing with police using tear gas to disperse them.
The decision has been condemned by several international figures, including Vance and Musk, who accused Romania of suppressing democracy. Left-wing European diplomats, however, have expressed support for the 'independence' of Romanian courts.
Critics on social media Sunday, slammed left-wing activist judges in Europe who employ fascistic judicial tactics to suppress freedom and undermine democracy while hypocritically condemning countries like Russia and China for undemocratic elections.
Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election in November 2024 but the vote was annulled in December by the Constitutional Court due to discredited allegations of Russian interference.
Georgescu submitted his candidacy for the May ballot re-run, and he is currently leading in opinion polls. He is under criminal investigation for membership in a 'fascist organization.' However, citics see the investigation as a witch hunt against the populist candidate.
