Romania’s Constitutional Court ratifies the exclusion of Calin Georgescu from presidential elections

Romania's Constitutional Court confirmed on Tuesday the exclusion of candidate Calin Georgescu from the presidential elections scheduled for May 4 and 18.

The decision puts an end to the aspirations of the politician, who had emerged as a prominent figure in the country's electoral landscape.

As reported by news channel Digi24, the judges of the Court unanimously rejected the eleven appeals filed by Georgescu against the disqualification issued last Sunday by the Central Electoral Office (BEC). This resolution implies that his candidacy is definitively ruled out, closing a chapter of political uncertainty that has shaken Romania in recent months.

For his part, Calin Georgescu used his X account to express himself on the matter:

"March 11, 2025 - Today the masters decided: no equality, no freedom, no fraternity for the Romanians. Long live France and Brussels, long live their colony called Romania!

While America is becoming great again, Europe and Romania, under dictatorship, have become small and corrupt.

Our indifference and that of our partners will be paid with the souls of these people, crushed at this moment, but I assure you that things will not stay like this! The evil of the system will not win, its evil will not defeat us!

We are the people!

We are Romania!

Thank you."

Background

Georgescu, 62, surprised the country by winning the first round of the presidential elections held on November 24, 2024, a result that defied all expectations and forecasts. However, a few days later, the Constitutional Court annulled the electoral process in its entirety, arguing that significant irregularities had been detected in the financing of his campaign, as well as indications of Russian interference aimed at influencing the outcome. This decision set a historic precedent in the 35 years of Romanian democracy, invalidating a presidential election for the first time.

The Central Electoral Office, in justifying Georgescu's recent disqualification for the May elections, pointed out that the candidate's violation of electoral rules in November was the determining factor that led to the annulment of the previous process. According to the body, allowing him to run again would be tantamount to ignoring the Constitutional ruling, which established that Georgescu did not respect the laws or democratic principles during his campaign.

Reactions and tensions

Georgescu's exclusion has generated a strong reaction among his supporters. Through social networks, his supporters have called for massive demonstrations in front of the Parliament Palace and the headquarters of the Constitutional Court in Bucharest, to protest against what they consider an unfair decision.

Georgescu, who according to the latest polls prior to his disqualification was leading with an estimated 35% of voting intention for the first round on May 4, was seen as the favorite to advance to the second round.

Political and electoral context

The annulment of the November elections and Georgescu's subsequent exclusion have highlighted existing tensions in Romania, a member country of the European Union (EU) and NATO, in the face of accusations of foreign interference. Georgescu's campaign, which was noted for its strong presence on social networks such as TikTok and his message critical of the EU, NATO and support for Ukraine, had gained significant support.

With Georgescu's candidacy ruled out, the electoral landscape for May remains uncertain. With the deadline for submitting new candidates expiring on March 15, there is speculation that the leader of the right-wing, populist AUR party, George Simion, may attempt to fill the space left by Georgescu. However, his performance in the annulled November elections, where he garnered only 13.9% of the vote and came in fourth place, suggests that he faces a considerable challenge in consolidating himself as a viable alternative.

Implications for Romania

The Constitutional Court's decision not only redefines the course of the presidential election. Meanwhile, the current president, Klaus Iohannis, will remain in office until a new leader is elected. The country faces a period of political uncertainty in a regional context marked by the war in Ukraine and tensions with Russia.