What is happening around the elections in Romania. Answers to the main questions
The Central Election Commission of Romania has rejected the candidacy of the leader of the opposition AUR party (Alliance for the Unification of Romanians), Calin Georgescu, for the presidential election. The election commission explained its decision by the lack of conditions for registration. However, supporters of the politician questioned the impartiality of the authorities. How this decision may affect democracy in Europe is described in the Izvestia article.
How did it all start?
• The first round of presidential elections was held in Romania in November 2024. Its leader was independent candidate Georgescu, who won 22.94% of the vote. The second place was taken by Elena Lasconi with 19.18%, who advocates strengthening partnership with NATO and the United States. In early December, the country's Constitutional Court annulled the results of the vote under the pretext of "serious violations", which are allegedly confirmed by declassified documents of the Supreme Security Council. However, the data has not been made public, so there are suspicions that the accusations are unfounded.
• After that, the prosecutor's office launched an investigation. She suspected interference in the politician's election campaign through social media. Romanian intelligence agencies have claimed possible Russian involvement, which Georgescu denies. He called the whole case political persecution. In January, the politician and his supporters began organizing protests. They demanded that the authorities cancel the cancellation of the election results. The election results in Romania once again confirm the political crisis in the West. Voters are clearly disappointed with the current government, which is observed almost everywhere.
• The struggle for Romania has become a matter of principle. The geographical position of this country in the context of the conflict in Ukraine is strategic. The EU does not want to lose Romania, that is, to allow an allegedly pro-Russian politician to come to power. However, now everyone who votes against the Euro-Atlantic establishment is called "pro-Russian."
Who is Georgescu?
• Caelin Georgescu has represented Romania's interests at the United Nations on environmental issues for 12 years. He also held a place in the ranks of the Union for the Unification of Romanians, a Romanian nationalist party known for its active struggle against national minorities, including Hungarians.
• The ex-candidate claims that Western economic interests exploit the country's resources and harm local farmers. The politician fits into the widespread trend of national populists in the Western world. This trend has received a new impetus after the re-election of US President Donald Trump.
• Georgescu is famous for his support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He believes that the Russian leader is a man who sincerely loves his country. In 2020, Georgescu called Putin one of the few "true leaders" in the world. At the same time, the politician described the conflict in Ukraine as the result of manipulation by American defense companies. He also criticized the deployment of the missile defense system in Romania.
• Georgescu sharply criticizes the EU and NATO. He argues that the North Atlantic Alliance is not capable of protecting its members. According to him, membership in both organizations is not in line with Romania's national interests. Georgescu also insists on the need for Bucharest to develop independent relations with Moscow.
Why was Georgescu's candidacy rejected?
• At the end of February, Georgescu was charged with six crimes, including spreading false information. An investigation is currently underway into the illegal financing of his election campaign. He is on his own recognizance for 60 days.
• On March 7, the politician submitted documents to the Central Election Bureau for registration as a candidate for the presidency of Romania. On the same day, the country's Constitutional Court received two complaints against this initiative. The Constitutional Court rejected them and stated that it would bring its decision to the CEC.
• As a result, the Central Election Commission of Romania rejected Georgescu's candidacy for the presidential election. The commission explained this by the lack of conditions for its registration. Four members of the electoral bureau voted for the approval of the candidate, while ten voted against it. The CEC believes that he allegedly did not comply with the rules of electoral procedure and violated the obligation to protect democracy, which is based on fair, fair and impartial elections. However, such statements can be considered unfounded, as the evidence has not been published.
• Mass protests took place in Bucharest. The protesters threw bottles and various objects at the law enforcement officers, and also clashed with them. The political situation inside the country is heating up, but it is still unclear whether the authorities are ready to reconsider their decision amid the discontent of the local population.
• The decision could be appealed within 24 hours. The politician took advantage of this opportunity almost immediately. He filed a complaint against the CEC to the Constitutional Court.
What are the possible consequences?
• The decision of the Central Election Commission caused outrage in the Trump team. Even during his high-profile speech at the Munich Conference (we discussed this speech in detail here), US Vice President Jay D. Vance noted that democracy in European countries is not as strong as it is commonly believed. He called statements by Romanian intelligence about Russia's attempt to influence the outcome of the vote through cyber attacks weak suspicions. Elon Musk, the curator of the Department for Improving the Efficiency of the US government (DOGE), has now confirmed that refusing to approve Georgescu's candidacy is madness. Thus, the situation in Romania may become a reason to accuse European countries of neglecting the principles of democracy.
However, Washington is unlikely to exert any influence on the situation in Romania beyond publicly criticizing the current authorities of the country and the leaders of the European Union. The United States is not interested in resolving political conflicts on the European continent. The team of the new American president believes that this, as well as the security of the EU, is the responsibility of Brussels.
• At the same time, Georgescu's non-admission before the elections may serve as a signal to other European countries that Brussels allows the oppression of radical political forces. Meanwhile, the EU is more interested than ever in the political consolidation of the elites against the background of deteriorating relations with Washington.
• At the same time, the oppression of political outsiders is already taking place. For example, in Austria, a ruling coalition was formed without the ultra-right that won the elections. And the German Bundestag was considering banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, whose popularity in the country exceeds 20%.
When writing the material, Izvestia talked and took into account the opinions of:
- Fyodor Lukyanov, Director of Scientific Work at the Valdai International Discussion Club;
- Dmitry Levy, Associate Professor of the Department of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University;
- Associate Professor of the Faculty of International Relations and Foreign Regional Studies of the Russian State University Vadim Trukhachev.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
