Romania’s CEC has rejected Călin Georgescu’s presidential candidacy, allowing for an appeal to the Constitutional Court. The elections have been annulled, prompting public demonstrations by his supporters. Georgescu previously faced a series of serious allegations and his arrest has led to multiple investigations in Romania.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Romania has denied the candidacy of Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian politician, for the upcoming presidential election. Following this decision, Georgescu has 24 hours to appeal to the Constitutional Court, which had previously annulled the results of an earlier election round, prompting a complete reevaluation of the electoral process. The Constitutional Court will decide on this matter within the same timeframe.
After the news broke, supporters of Georgescu demonstrated outside the CEC headquarters, resulting in the destruction of barriers set by law enforcement. The authorities have since restored the barriers to ensure public order.
In November 2024, Romania held the first round of the presidential election, with Georgescu and liberal candidate Elena Lasconi advancing to the second round. Lasconi narrowly defeated incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, a development that was deemed surprising. Georgescu faced accusations of leveraging TikTok to influence the election, leading to scrutiny from the European Commission regarding the social media platform’s practices concerning inauthentic content.
Investigations revealed that a TikTok account linked to Bogdan Pescir contributed $381,000 to finance Georgescu’s campaign from October to November 2024. Subsequently, the Constitutional Court annulled the initial election results on December 6.
Călin Georgescu was arrested on February 26, facing serious charges including inciting anti-constitutional activities and promoting a fascist organization. He was later released but remains under judicial supervision. A total of 18 individuals have been apprehended in connection with Georgescu’s political activities, following extensive searches that uncovered weapons, ammunition, and substantial amounts of cash and gold at multiple locations.
In summary, Călin Georgescu’s candidacy for the Romanian presidency has been rejected by the CEC, with the potential for an appeal within a short timeframe. The political landscape remains tumultuous as the Constitutional Court continues to play a significant role in overseeing the electoral process. The allegations against Georgescu and the ongoing investigations indicate deep-seated issues within Romanian politics, particularly concerning the influence of social media and pro-Russian sentiments.
Original Source: babel.ua
