Latest news with #CentralElectoralBureau
LeMonde
21-05-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Romanian election: How pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan won a surprise victory
Against all odds, Nicusor Dan defied predictions on Sunday, May 18, by winning the second round of the Romanian presidential election with 53.6% of the vote, far ahead of his nationalist rival, George Simion, who was defeated with 46.4%. Before the runoff election was held, the centrist mayor of Bucharest had been considered the underdog by Romania's underground bookmakers, who take bets on the candidates. After all, he won only 21% of the vote in the first round, compared to 41% for Simion. Catching up, after such a gap, seemed an impossible feat. The most pessimistic observers feared that Dan, a mathematics prodigy known for his gentle demeanor, would be no match for his populist opponent: Simion, a football fan drawn to violence, an imposing figure with plenty of bravado and an omnipresent voice on social media platforms. Yet, despite his "lack of charisma," the pro-European candidate achieved a decisive victory, finishing with a comfortable lead of 829,589 votes over his rival, according to the latest tally from the Central Electoral Bureau. This victory would not have been possible without an extraordinary surge in participation by Romanian voters, who turned out in large numbers to block the far-right candidate in the second electoral round. Political analysts had said that Dan's victory was possible, on the condition that turnout reached 65%. When polling stations closed on Sunday night, the turnout figures stood at 63%, compared to 53% in the first round.
Russia Today
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Romanian presidential election rerun kicks off
Romania is holding a rerun of its presidential election on Sunday after the previous vote was annulled on grounds of alleged Russian interference and electoral violations. Moscow has denied all claims of interference. The annulled election in late November saw independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu, known for his NATO-sceptic stance, unexpectedly prevail in the first round with 23% of the vote. However, the Constitutional Court later invalidated the results, citing electoral 'irregularities.' The country's officials claimed that the candidate's campaign had utilized undeclared funds, and that Russia was behind 'hybrid' attacks, including in the cyber realm. In March, Georgescu was barred by the Central Electoral Bureau from running again, citing his alleged 'anti-democratic' and 'extremist' stance as well as a failure to comply with electoral procedures. In the current election, a total of 11 candidates are competing for the presidential post. The key contenders include George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), who is known for his opposition to the EU, and criticism of military support to Ukraine. He is leading the polls with approximately 30% support. Other prominent candidates include Crin Antonescu, representing the governing Social-Democrat and National Liberal coalition, and Nicusor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, both of whom support pro-EU agendas. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, a run-off between the two leading candidates will be held on May 18. Ahead of the rerun, meanwhile, Romanian detained RT journalist Chay Bowes, who had traveled to Bucharest from Dublin, Ireland, to cover the election. According to the reporter, he was presented with a paper – of which he was not given a copy – alleging that he was 'a threat to the security of the state' and therefore should be deported. Bowes, a EU citizen, has insisted that he entered Romania 'completely legally… to do [his] job.' Commenting on the detention, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Romanian election had turned into a 'meme.' She added that 'the situation around the election in Romania is so scandalous. It's so dead-ended and it discredits the level of that pseudo democracy in Romania.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Romania's Presidential Election Drama Has a New Twist
In a scenario that evokes memories of the period immediately following the end of the Cold War, a Central European nation is locked in a battle to fend off Russian influence while safeguarding its democracy. But this time around, there is a critical twist: As Romania strives to maintain the integrity of its representative government, one of the states seemingly working against it is the United States. This weekend, Romania's election authority, the Central Electoral Bureau, disqualified far-right populist candidate Calin Georgescu from participating in May's rerun of the presidential election, ruling that he had 'violated the fundamental obligation to defend democracy.' Georgescu won the first round of the election in November, but Romania's Constitutional Court later annulled the results after intelligence reports alleged that he had benefited from an aggressive Russian-sponsored propaganda campaign on the social media platform TikTok. Almost immediately after Sunday's announcement, Georgescu appealed the election authority's decision, calling it a 'direct blow to the heart of democracy around the world.' His supporters took to the streets of Bucharest in protest, attempting to storm the election authority's headquarters. The demonstration quickly descended into violence, leaving four police officers hospitalized. In just a few months, Georgescu has gone from being a political outsider unknown outside of Romania to being a key figurehead of the global far-right populist movement. His rise has been fueled by savvy online engagement: He has amassed over 700,000 followers on TikTok and 400,000 on Facebook since starting his campaign, allowing him to harness nationalist sentiment, exploit the legacy of Romania's fascist and antisemitic past, and use the ongoing war in Ukraine to push a protectionist agenda. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Georgescu has accused the European Union and NATO of conspiring to block his path to office and has openly praised Romania's historical fascist leaders. His rhetoric has resonated with Romanians who are disillusioned with the country's political elite, while his social media presence has strengthened his appeal among younger voters. In the aftermath of his disqualification, some of Europe's leading far-right political figures quickly rallied behind Georgescu. Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister and leader of the far-right Lega party, condemned the election authority's decision as a 'soviet-style EU coup.' But Georgescu's most vocal support has come from the United States. Among his key defenders is Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and a senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. Taking to X, Musk questioned how a judge could 'end democracy in Romania' following the election authority's decision. This was not the first time Musk intervened on Georgescu's behalf. In late February, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into Georgescu, charging him with six offences, including campaign finance violations, support for fascist organizations—illegal in Romania—and fraudulent use of digital technologies. In response, Musk falsely claimed that 'the person who won the most votes in the Romanian presidential election' had been arrested, misleading his millions of followers. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also took a hardline stance, telling the Republican party faithful at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February that Romania no longer shared the United States' values. 'You don't have shared values if you cancel elections because you don't like the result,' he declared, accusing the Romanian government of silencing its people. Vance staked out a similar position in early February at the Munich Security Conference, where he shocked those in attendance by calling mainstream political parties' efforts to keep the far right out of power a bigger threat to Europe than Russia. Unsurprisingly, Moscow has also come to Georgescu's defense. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service recently claimed that 'the European bureaucracy has declared war on 'non-systemic leaders' who openly support U.S. President Donald Trump and refuse to follow instructions from the EU's ruling liberal elites.' Georgescu, for his part, has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as 'a man who loves his country.' Georgescu's anti-EU and anti-NATO positioning not only mirrors Putin and Trump's geopolitical agenda but has major implications for Ukraine, which has depended on Romania as both an ally and a critical transit hub for military aid from its U.S. and European supporters. Should Romania fall under the influence of Georgescu, it would likely sever these strategic ties, shifting the balance of power in the region and leaving Ukraine further isolated at a time when the U.S. is using military aid as leverage to force Kyiv to the negotiating table. The Georgescu crisis has placed Romania at the center of all these geopolitical tensions. A government trying to defend its hard-won democracy is being pulled in multiple directions by competing powers: Russia, which has always considered Romania part of its sphere of influence; the EU, which is struggling to defend itself from malign forces; and a U.S. administration that appears hostile to Brussels and willing to appease Moscow. Romania has also become a test case for whether democratic institutions can withstand rising populism in an era when online misinformation spreads so rapidly. More worryingly, despite the Romanian government's firm pro-Western stance, support for Georgescu has continued to grow. Having won roughly 23 percent of the first-round vote in a six-candidate field, he now commands around 40 percent of voter support, according to the latest polls, a figure that has remained stable despite his disqualification. Not even a ruling on March 6 by the European Court of Human Rights dismissing Georgescu's appeal of his disqualification, which he claimed was 'unlawful and disproportionate,' could quell the unrest among his supporters. As Romania approaches its presidential election rerun in May, it faces an uphill battle to preserve public trust in its democratic process. However, this struggle is no longer just about one election—it has become a question of whether a European democracy can survive when one of its former allies is actively working against it. For decades, the U.S. positioned itself as a global defender of democracy. Yet, under Trump's leadership, Washington is no longer a champion of democratic governance but rather an active enabler of ultranationalist movements. The fact that both the U.S. and Russia are now aligned in their support for a Romanian far-right populist marks a fundamental shift in global politics. Meanwhile, Putin more than likely sees the destabilization of Romania's democracy as a strategic victory, further undermining European security and possibly diminishing Ukraine's prospects for sustained Western support. When it finally takes place this May, Romania's presidential election will now avoid the worst-case scenarios that Georgescu threatened to manifest. But the impact of the events since November could still help shape the future of European security and trans-Atlantic relations, while illustrating the threats facing democracy itself in an age of resurgent nationalism and geopolitical upheaval. Amanda Coakley is a strategic adviser and Europe's Futures Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. In 2024 she was named an Aspen U.K. Rising Leaders Fellow. Her monthly WPR column appears on Wednesdays. The post Romania's Presidential Election Drama Has a New Twist appeared first on World Politics Review.
Russia Today
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Constitutional Court upholds Georgescu election ban
Romania's Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal by presidential hopeful Calin Georgescu against the Central Electoral Bureau's (BEC) decision to bar him from taking part in a new election in May, according to the Associated Press. On Tuesday, the court upheld BEC's ruling, confirming the invalidation of Georgescu's candidacy. The electoral body had dismissed his bid on Sunday, citing over 1,000 challenges. Georgescu was the clear favorite for the election rerun, polling between 40% and 45% in most recent surveys. According to media reports, a crowd of supporters gathered outside the court in Bucharest, shouting 'traitors' and 'we are going nowhere.' They also chanted 'Calin Georgescu is president' and 'freedom,' with one woman holding a sign that read 'Stop dictatorship.' Georgescu scored an unexpected win in November's presidential election first round, receiving 23% of the vote. The result, however, was promptly annulled by the Constitutional Court over alleged 'irregularities' in the campaign. The politician is known as an outspoken critic of NATO and the EU, and a staunch opponent of supporting Ukraine. Preliminary findings of an investigation into the elections scandal, reported by media early this year, indicated the campaign 'irregularities' likely were the result of actions of a consulting firm associated with the pro-Western National Liberal Party (PNL). The firm presumably tried to derail another candidate, but inadvertently boosted Georgescu instead. Last month, Georgescu was briefly arrested and charged with 'promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies' and plotting 'anti-constitutional acts.' The politician has dismissed all the accusations as politically motivated, claiming that was being targeted by the Romanian 'deep state,' and asked US President Donald Trump for help. Billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, then reacted to Romania's election turmoil, calling the decision to bar Georgescu 'crazy.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Final ruling bars far-right Georgescu from Romanian vote
Romanian far-right populist Calin Georgescu has lost his appeal against a ruling barring him from participating in May's presidential election. The Constitutional Court issued the final ruling on Tuesday afternoon after deliberating for two hours. It said the decision was unanimous. The Central Electoral Bureau had earlier rejected Georgescu's candidacy for a rerun of the presidential election in May. Georgescu had won the first round of last year's presidential vote, but it was annulled after intelligence revealed Russia had been involved in setting up almost 800 TikTok accounts backing him. On Sunday, the election bureau said Georgescu's candidacy did not "meet the conditions of legality", as he "violated the very obligation to defend democracy". Georgescu appealed that verdict the following day. In a Facebook video on Tuesday night, Georgescu did not call for further protests - but instead suggested supporters could choose another candidate to back in the re-run election in May. "If you want to support anyone by signing new lists for the presidential campaign, please do as your conscience tells you," he said. "It seems democracy and freedom are taking their last breath these days. "But we need to show now, more than any other time, that our choice matters in a peaceful and democratic way," Georgescu added. Many of the protesters outside the court had Romanian flags draped around their shoulders. Some held up Orthodox Christian icons and one clutched a large wooden crucifix. A man dressed in a traditional peasant smock scaled a lamppost with a giant Romanian flag and waved it enthusiastically over the crowd. They chanted "Calin Georgescu is president" and "freedom", and condemned the judges as traitors. One woman had a sign that read "Stop dictatorship". It took a while for news of the ruling upholding the ban to reach the crowd. When it did, there were loud "boos" directed at the judges inside. The crowd soon became noisy and angry, saying they had come to the streets to defend democracy. Calin Georgescu, the man they support, has come from the far-right fringes of Romanian politics, but he is now at the forefront and promises to make Romania great again. On 26 February, he was detained for questioning on his way to register as a candidate for the May election, prompting tens of thousands of Romanians to take to the streets of Bucharest in protest. Many Romanians believe he is being blocked by a political elite that is corrupt and remote from the people. George Simion, an ally of Georgescu and the leader of the far-right opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) wrote on Facebook: "Shame! You will not defeat us. The people of Romania have awoken. They will win." The presidential election was annulled after Georgescu won the first round in November 2024, when intelligence was released suggesting a giant TikTok promotion campaign for Georgescu had been backed by Russia. To European leaders and many in Romania it looked like Russia was trying to weaken Europe and undermine its liberal values. That is still the opinion of many Romanians who fear a man who admires Vladimir Putin and dislikes Nato. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that suggestions that Russia had links to Georgescu were "absolutely baseless". Meanwhile, the crowd out on the streets of Bucharest on Tuesday evening were shouting about democracy and freedom. They were demanding the right to vote for Georgescu and they have been denied that. Romanian far-right presidential hopeful barred from poll rerun How meddling blamed on Russia exploited real grievances in Romania Alleged Russian election-meddling in Romania resurrects dark memories
