Israel and Syria agree to ceasefire, says U.S. ambassador to Türkiye
The U.S. ambassador to Türkiye says Israel and Syria have reached a ceasefire deal supported by Türkiye, Jordan, and regional actors after cross-bor...
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.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Germany's export slump since 2021 is largely driven by deep-rooted competitiveness issues, the Bundesbank warned in its latest report, calling for urgent structural reforms.
Israeli researchers have unveiled an artificial intelligence tool that can determine a person’s true biological age from tiny DNA samples with remarkable precision.
Two Harry Potter actresses, Emma Watson and Zoe Wanamaker, have each received a six-month driving ban after separate speeding offences, both sentenced on the same day at a Buckinghamshire court.
North Korea has stopped foreign tourists from visiting its new Wonsan-Kalma resort just weeks after it welcomed the first Russian visitors.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Coca-Cola has agreed to use real cane sugar in the U.S., though the company has not confirmed the claim.
The U.S. ambassador to Türkiye says Israel and Syria have reached a ceasefire deal supported by Türkiye, Jordan, and regional actors after cross-border strikes this week heightened tensions.
The Trump administration has completed a controversial prisoner swap with Venezuela, returning around 250 deported Venezuelans in exchange for 10 American detainees.
Congo and the M23 rebel group have agreed on a declaration of principles after months of Qatar-mediated talks, aiming to end fighting in the country’s east.
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