Romania’s top presidential contender has been disqualified from May’s election in a contentious decision that ignited violent protests in Bucharest, despite calls from Washington to heed voter demands.
The country’s electoral bureau (BEC) voted 10-4 on Sunday to invalidate Calin Georgescu’s candidacy, citing his “failure to comply with electoral regulations.”
The ruling follows a criminal investigation opened last month against Georgescu, in which prosecutors accuse him of attempting to subvert the constitutional order and establishing a “fascist” organization.
Georgescu condemned the decision as “a direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide.” His supporters swiftly mobilized in Bucharest, with some ripping up asphalt to hurl at police guarding the BEC headquarters, according to CNN affiliate Antena 3.
The ruling is expected to inflame Georgescu’s base in Romania while bolstering Moscow’s claims that Western democracies manipulate elections to silence opposition. It has also drawn concern from members of the Trump administration, who have accused Romania of democratic backsliding.
Despite being largely unknown before Romania’s annulled presidential election last year, the 62-year-old former soil scientist—who opposes aid to Ukraine—has surged in popularity. He won the first round of November’s election before the constitutional court voided the result, citing declassified intelligence reports that alleged Russian interference in his TikTok-driven campaign. A re-run is set for May, with polls showing Georgescu leading, though he has now been disqualified.
The November annulment played into Moscow’s longstanding claim that elites rig elections to suppress dissent and maintain the liberal order. That rhetoric has gained traction in Washington as well. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February, U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized Romania’s decision to cancel the election “based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency,” warning of Europe’s “threat from within.”
“If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with,” Vance said.
Georgescu responded to Sunday’s ruling by declaring, “Europe is now a dictatorship” and “Romania is under tyranny.” Elon Musk also weighed in, stating “This is crazy.”
Protests erupted outside the BEC headquarters Sunday night, leading to violent clashes that left at least 13 members of Romania’s Gendarmerie security force injured, according to Antena 3.
If Georgescu challenges the BEC’s decision before Monday evening’s deadline, Romania’s constitutional court will review his appeal.
Meanwhile, Pavel Popescu, Vice President of Romania’s National Authority for Communications (ANCOM), announced that the government will suspend TikTok until state institutions conclude their investigation into the first round of presidential elections.
