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Romania banned the right-wing extremist leader in the country’s presidential vote by participating in the elections, in a step that he addressed as a “tyranny” and despite the warnings of the Trump administration to respect the wishes of voters.
The country’s electoral office said on Sunday that Călin Georgescu’s candidacy was invalid after he received objections that he had violated laws of extremism.
Georgescu condemned what he said “a direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide”. In a message to X he added: “Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!”
The candidate now has 24 hours to submit a complaint that the Constitutional Court has to assess for another 48 hours, which means that the final decision on a ban should come last on Wednesday evening.
The repetition elections are planned for May 4th and 18th after a first round in November was lifted by the constitutional court after the Russian interference is accused in favor of Georgescu.
Recent surveys have proposed that he is the frontrunner, with some more than 40 percent support for him.
The US Vice President JD Vance has condemned the cancellation of last year’s elections as a reference to the European review of democracy. Vance accused the Romanian authorities to bow to the “flimsy” secret services and the alleged pressure of other European capitals.
The fans of Georgescu collided with the police in Bucharest after heard of the result.
The electoral authority, the BEC, said about its argument after the decision later on Sunday that they were partly annulled by Georgescu for the same reasons that the first election in December had been canceled.
“It is inadmissible if you again note the choice that the same person fulfills the conditions that are necessary to act on the presidency.”
Elon Musk, the ally of Donald Trump and the billionaire who supports Georgescu, described the step “crazy” in one post on X.
The electoral office said that more than 1,000 complaints against Georgescu’s offer, mainly in connection with extremism and its confirmation of the fascist leaders of the country’s land war.
“Every competition from Georgescu is associated with him when he violates legislation,” the Romanian Romanian-Mep Siegfried Mureşan told the FT. “One should not fall victim to his story if he states that his expression is caused by his political success.”
The right -wing extremist candidate gave the Nazis greeting, after he had been asked by prosecutors in a criminal investigation into his connection with fascist groups, and suspected attempts to undermine the constitutional order.
The decision on Sunday will probably continue to upset many Romanians who have long rejected the mainstream parties as corrupt and inefficient.
The right -wing extremists have checked a third of Romania’s legislation since a separate election in December.
George Simion, leader of the largest group in parliament, described the decision on Sunday as the “continuation of the coup” of the previous cancellation. He previously said that Georgescu should be ruled out that he would run in his place.
Several other candidates have submitted offers for the presidency together with Georgescu, including the Bucharest Mayor of the city center of Dan and Crin Antonescu, which is supported by several mainstream parties.
