Romanian prosecutors on Tuesday indicted Calin Georgescu, the pro-Russian “far-right” frontrunner in last year’s canceled presidential election, on charges of attempting to undermine national security. Georgescu dismissed the indictment as “a carbon copy” of President Trump’s 2016 legal troubles.
The election, scrapped in December amid allegations of Russian interference in Georgescu’s favor, was later re-run in May and won by pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan. Georgescu, a vocal critic of NATO, the EU and Western support for Ukraine, was barred from running again and placed under multiple investigations, which he denies. Moscow has rejected accusations of meddling.
Prosecutors allege that following the cancellation, Georgescu conspired with Horatiu Potra, a former French Foreign Legion soldier, to organize violent demonstrations. Alongside Georgescu, 21 others were indicted, including Potra, who allegedly formed a paramilitary group to stage protests in Bucharest aimed at undermining Romania’s rule of law institutions.
Prosecutor General Alex Florenta said investigators uncovered a broader pattern of hybrid attacks targeting Romania, including cyber intrusions, disinformation campaigns and public agitation. He noted ransomware assaults linked to pro-Russian groups Lockbit, Lynx, Akira and Ransom Hub had struck over a dozen state institutions, as well as transport firms and banks.
