Thousands protested in Bucharest against the annulment of Romania’s presidential election and the ban on far-right frontrunner Calin Georgescu. With a new vote set for May, George Simion emerges as the hard-right's candidate, as tensions rise over Romania’s political future and EU ties.
Thousands of Romanians gathered in the capital Bucharest on Wednesday to protest the December cancellation of a presidential election and the banning of its far-right frontrunner from standing for office again.
The European Union and NATO member which borders Ukraine will repeat its two-round presidential election on May 4 and 18 after the Constitutional Court voided the initial ballot in December following accusations of Russian meddling in favour of far-right, pro-Russian frontrunner Calin Georgescu.
Earlier this month, it banned Georgescu from running again, and George Simion, leader of Romania's second largest party, the Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), subsequently became the hard right's replacement candidate.
Georgescu, who turned 63 on Wednesday, has not publicly commented since he was disqualified and has stopped short of outright endorsing Simion.
Opinion surveys released earlier this month show Simion is poised to make it into the run-off vote on May 18.
Simion's AUR organised Wednesday's protest outside the government headquarters in downtown Bucharest, which saw several thousand people gather, shouting "Freedom" and "Thieves," waving flags and blowing vuvuzelas.
Separately, a competing pro-Georgescu rally saw several thousand more protesters gather.
"This fake government should fall. It has cut democracy and sold the country," said Claudiu Ghita, 62, a retired railroad worker. "I will vote for George Simion in May."
If a far-right candidate succeeds in swaying Georgescu's voters, it could determine whether another central European country swings closer to Moscow beside Hungary and Slovakia.
"Calin Georgescu is out, we will vote Simion. The ultranationalists have not been in power yet and we need peace," said Maria, who declined to give her last name. She was wearing a red Make America Great Again T-shirt and waving a giant Romanian flag.
The far right, which now holds 35% of parliament seats, has painted Romanian mainstream parties as beholden to covert Brussels interests, and has stoked fears that EU support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia will pull Romania into the war.
Top security officials of Iran and the UK have held a telephone conversation during which they agreed to continue exchanging views regarding Tehran’...
Pakistan and China are expected to deepen cooperation under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with the two sides set to...
Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, whose name became synonymous with modern elegance and global luxury, has died at the age of 91, his company a...
A protest rally took place yesterday, September 3, on Melikishvili Avenue, where Kakha Kaladze, the Georgian Dream candidate for Tbilisi mayor, offici...
Access to Google services was restored Thursday after a region-wide outage cut off millions of users across dozens of countries, with disruptions repo...
Severe floods in eastern Romania overnight claimed the lives of two people and caused widespread damage to thousands of homes, prompting mass evacuations and helicopter rescue efforts, authorities reported on Monday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has survived a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament, overcoming accusations of secrecy and mismanagement by far-right lawmakers.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met his Romanian counterpart Nicusor Dan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, reaffirming a commitment to deepen bilateral ties and enhance Black Sea security.
Romanian authorities have evacuated dozens of residents near the Praid Salt Mine amid fears of a collapse triggered by heavy flooding, as emergency teams scramble to contain the damage and safeguard one of the country’s top tourist sites.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Pakistan and China are expected to deepen cooperation under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with the two sides set to sign 11 new agreements aimed at workforce development and vocational training.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met on Thursday in Beijing, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
When Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants stormed her village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Maman Soki lost her daughter, sister, and neighbours.
European leaders including Türkiye and Canada are arriving in Paris, France on Thursday for another "coalition of the willing" meeting.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Economy, Haji Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, has praised Japan for its humanitarian and development assistance over the past two years, calling relations between Kabul and Tokyo “historic”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment