Latest news with #RomaniaElection
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Romanian intelligence denies French spy chief's visit before election
Nationalist George Simion lost Romania's May 18 election run-off. (EPA Images pic) BUCHAREST : Romania's foreign intelligence service on Thursday denied that the French spy chief had visited the country before its presidential election run-off this month, as the Russian head of Telegram has claimed. Pavel Durov, the Telegram social network's CEO, has said that the head of France's foreign intelligence department, the DGSE, went to Bucharest a few days before the May 18 vote, and indicated that this was to influence the outcome of the run-off vote, ultimately won by centrist Nicusor Dan against a nationalist candidate. Romania's intelligence service, the SIE, made a rare public statement to deny that DGSE chief Nicolas Lerner had been in Bucharest before the election. 'To ensure that citizens are properly informed', said an SIE statement which named Lerner and mentioned reports of his alleged meetings in Bucharest, 'we clarify that such a visit did not take place'. Durov, who faces charges in France related to criminal activity on Telegram, has also said in social media messages and by video to a conference in Oslo that Lerner had requested he silence conservative Romanian commentators on the platform. The DGSE has denied those claims. The SIE statement said that the department's activities were 'apolitical' and 'clearly and transparently regulated by law'. The SIE 'will not give in to attempts at manipulation and disinformation in the public sphere, as insinuations of possible political involvement are unsubstantiated and intended to generate distrust of state institutions', it added. Nationalist George Simion, who lost the election run-off, went to Romania's constitutional court in a bid to get the result cancelled. He said there had been 'interference', including by France. The court rejected his appeal. The result of a first-round vote in November which another nationalist, Calin Georgescu, led, was cancelled because authorities ruled it had been influenced by Russian interference in the campaign. Georgescu was banned from taking part in the reorganised election won by Dan.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- General
- Russia Today
Banned ex-Romanian presidential front-runner quits politics
Former Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has stated that he will be withdrawing from politics, following the victory of a pro-EU candidate in a presidential election rerun from which he was banned, earlier this month. Georgescu, a former UN official, ran as an independent in Romania's November 2024 presidential election, campaigning on national sovereignty, criticism of Bucharest's involvement in NATO and the EU, and opposition to continued military aid for Ukraine. Having won the initial round of voting, his victory was annulled by the country's Constitutional Court, citing 'irregularities' in his campaign along with intelligence reports alleging Russian interference—claims Moscow has denied. The election was rerun on May 18 without Georgescu on the ballot. In a video address published on Monday, Georgescu stated that he has chosen to become a 'passive observer of public and social life' and to end his 'active involvement in the political process, considering that this stage of the sovereignist movement has ended from my point of view.' He also stated that he would not join or lead any political party or attempt to hold 'any position in the Romanian state in the current situation.' Instead, Georgescu said he will focus his attention and energy on his family. Georgescu left open the possibility of returning to public life, if he sees that 'the rights of those who have chosen differently are being violated or injustices and abuses arise.' Romania's electoral authorities banned Georgescu from taking part in this month's rerun - a decision that was also upheld by the Constitutional Court, citing alleged violations of campaign finance rules and national security concerns. He was replaced on the ballot by Euroskeptic candidate George Simion - the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party. Simion lost in the second round of voting to Bucharest Mayor and EU supporter Nicusor Dan. The right-wing candidate has since refused to recognize the results, citing a 'coordinated international interference' campaign. Moscow has described Romania's latest election as 'strange, at the very least,' noting that Dan did not secure victory until Georgescu - the frontrunner - was disqualified. Telegram founder Pavel Durov also claimed last week that Nicolas Lerner, the head of French foreign intelligence, personally urged him to censor conservative voices on the platform ahead of the Romanian election.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Calin Georgescu, frontrunner in Romania's canceled election, announces withdrawal from politics
BUCHAREST, Romania — Calin Georgescu, the controversial populist whose bid for Romania's presidency last year resulted in the annulment of an election in the European Union and NATO member country, announced he is stepping away from political life. Georgescu upended Romania's political landscape last November when he ran as an independent and unexpectedly surged to frontrunner in the first round of the presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister.
News.com.au
26-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Pro-EU centrist Nicusor Dan sworn in as Romania president
Pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan was on Monday sworn in as Romania's president, having pledged to stand against "isolationism and Russian influence". A week ago, Dan won a tense election rerun, seen as key for the direction of the NATO and European Union country bordering war-torn Ukraine. Although EU critic and nationalist George Simion easily topped the first round of voting, Dan took victory in the second round run-off. The election came five months after Romania's constitutional court scrapped a presidential ballot over allegations of Russian interference and the massive social media promotion of the far-right frontrunner, who was not allowed to stand again. Dan, 55 and Bucharest mayor since 2020, took the oath of office in parliament. "The Romanian state needs a fundamental change, within the rule of law, and I invite you to continue to be involved in order to put positive pressure on state institutions to reform," Dan told the assembly after being sworn in. "I call on political parties to act in the national interest." Lawmakers from Simion's far-right AUR party did not participate in the ceremony, saying it was "legitimising a national treason". Later on Monday, Dan was to meet interim president Ilie Bolojan -- who has been tipped as a possible prime minister. Dan has vowed to usher in a "new chapter" in Romania. He travelled to Warsaw on Sunday to support pro-EU Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who hopes to emerge the winner of Sunday's race for the Polish presidency. "We won the Romanian presidential elections. People rejected isolationism and Russian influence," Dan told thousands of people at a really for Trzaskowski. - 'We will resist' - Tensions remained high in Romania, with authorities on alert after hundreds of TikTok users called for protests on Monday. "We will resist!" Simion, 38, wrote on Facebook on Sunday, although he specified that he would not be protesting on Monday. Romania's constitutional court validated the election results on Thursday, after rejecting an appeal by Simion to annul the vote. Simion has repeatedly alleged that there was foreign interference in the vote, including by France, and electoral fraud, without giving any evidence. He condemned the court's decision as a "coup d'etat". Simion comfortably topped the first-round ballot on May 4, campaigning against what he called the EU's "absurd policies" and vowing to cut aid to Ukraine. But Dan won almost 54 percent of the run-off vote. Romania's president has significant sway in foreign policy -- including representing the country at NATO and EU summits -- and appoints key posts, such as the prime minister. Dan, a mathematics prodigy who has promised to fight corruption for an "honest" Romania, has said he would speak to all four pro-Western parliamentary parties about "not only the appointment of the prime minister but also the outline of the government's programme", including judicial reforms. Romania, a country of 19 million people, is struggling with high inflation. It is the EU's most indebted country. Dan, who is known for his reserved nature, has voiced support for Ukraine and vowed to keep Romania on its "pro-Western" path. bur-jza/gil
Washington Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Romania's new president is sworn in as a political crisis eases, but challenges loom
BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania's newly elected president Nicusor Dan was officially sworn in on Monday, ushering in a tentative close to the worst political crisis to grip the European Union country in decades after the annulment of the previous election. But multiple challenges lie ahead. Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former mayor of the capital, Bucharest, decisively won the tense rerun in a runoff on May 18, beating his hard-right opponent George Simion, who later challenged the results at a top court, but was rejected last week.
