The dispute over Georgescu's candidacy is firing up tensions both at home and abroad. A small group of his supporters smashed pavements and set rubbish bins ablaze in Bucharest on Sunday, while Elon Musk, a key adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, branded the decision to bar Georgescu "crazy".
Romania, a NATO and EU member, has found itself at the centre of a dispute between Europe and the Trump administration over the nature of democracy. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Romania's annulment of its election in December amid allegations of Russian interference meant it did not share American values.
Russia denies interfering in Romania's presidential vote.
"We go together all the way for the same values: peace, democracy, freedom," Georgescu, appearing alongside two political allies, said in a video posted on Facebook, confirming he would appeal to the Constitutional Court against the ban.
Georgescu also urged supporters to shun violent protests "like (those) we saw yesterday evening".
Georgescu submitted his presidential bid on Friday.
Romania's central election authority said on Sunday it had decided to bar Georgescu's candidacy, saying it was inadmissible after the Constitutional Court's annulment of the December vote.
Challenges to decisions by Romania's central election authority must be filed within 24 hours. The Constitutional Court should rule on Georgescu's appeal by Wednesday.
ULTRANATIONALIST PARTIES
Analysts have said it is unlikely that the top court will allow Georgescu to run again for the presidency.
The court set a precedent in October when it blocked the candidacy of another far-right candidate, arguing that her anti-European, pro-Russian views made her unfit for office.
If the court upholds the central election authority's decision, three opposition ultranationalist parties, which hold 35% of seats in parliament and which backed Georgescu's previous presidential bid, risk having no candidate in the May election.
George Simion, leader of the opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), met with Georgescu on Monday.
Asked before the meeting if he was considering submitting his own candidacy, Simion told reporters:
"We wait to see what Mr. Georgescu will say. We are not ruling out any options, but we are not speculators."
Simion said he had been in contact with JD Vance's team in the last 24 hours, but not directly with the Trump administration. He did not elaborate.
Georgescu is under criminal investigation on six counts, including membership in a fascist organisation and communicating false information about campaign financing. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Sergiu Miscoiu, a political science professor at Babes-Bolyai University, said he believed it would be riskier to let Georgescu run, as his victory could upend Romania's pro-Western orientation, than to bar him, even if the U.S. reacted badly.
"Even if the United States reacts ... strongly, this consequence can be mitigated in the longer run," he said, adding that plans for higher European defence spending and signs that China wants to draw closer to Europe could help dampen any U.S. criticism.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, replacing him with General Mykhailo Drapatyi in one of the...
Southeast Asia remains the epicentre of scam centres running illegal online fraud schemes that target victims worldwide and generate billions of dolla...
Iran is increasingly relying on its northern ports for imports, with officials saying more than 30% of goods now enter the country via Russia and the ...
Romanian prosecutors questioned far-right candidate Calin Georgescu over alleged election interference, raiding 47 locations linked to him. Georgescu, leading in polls for the May rerun, claims authorities are blocking his candidacy. U.S. officials criticised Romania for annulling the vote.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 21st of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.
Kylian Mbappé has become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on more than one occasion. The French forward won the award presented to the top goalscorer of the tournament for the second time, despite France being knocked out in the semi-finals.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, replacing him with General Mykhailo Drapatyi in one of the most significant military leadership changes since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Southeast Asia remains the epicentre of scam centres running illegal online fraud schemes that target victims worldwide and generate billions of dollars annually. The UN estimates scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand reached up to $114.1 billion in 2025.
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has chaired his first Cabinet meeting, pledging to make the cost of living his government's central priority while signalling a broader effort to restore confidence in Britain's government and strengthen its international standing.
Iran is increasingly relying on its northern ports for imports, with officials saying more than 30% of goods now enter the country via Russia and the Caspian Sea rather than through the Indian Ocean.
Russian strikes hit multiple locations across Ukraine, setting a large hardware store ablaze in the northeastern city of Sumy and damaging a residential building in the country's east, as fighting between the two sides continued to intensify.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment