November 24th, 2024, marked the first round of presidential elections in Romania. The second round, scheduled for December 8th, 2024, was annulled by the Romanian Constitutional Court on December 6th, 2024. The decision was made after alleged foreign intervention and election irregularities, which resulted in far-right candidate Călin Georgescu winning by 22.94%. His candidacy was later banned on March 9th, 2025, as he “failed to comply with electoral regulations”. This decision resulted in protests across Bucharest with violent police intervention and differing international viewpoints.
Călin Georgescu’s win in the first round of elections took the country by surprise, as he was practically unknown to most citizens before the elections. Controversies rose due to his pro-Russian stance and sympathy for Romania’s fascist leaders from the 20th century (Edwards). He iterated that all support for Ukraine would be cut if he became president, and he would “end subservience to the international organisations it belongs to, including NATO and the EU”. Yet, he managed to gain the support of a majority of the voters in the country, demonstrating that the public is becoming dissatisfied with current conventional parties and resonating with anti-establishment sentiments. Most voters were members of the middle class, frustrated youth, and citizens in rural areas working in agriculture.
Călin Georgescu was in the lead as an independent candidate ,while his main opponents, Elena Lasconi and Marcel Ciolacu, secured 19.18% and 19.15%, respectively. These results led to Marcel Ciolacu’s resignation, especially as his party, PSD (Social Democratic Party), had failed to send a candidate up to the second round of elections after a 30-plus-year streak.
Despite Georgescu’s win, the Romanian Constitutional Court voided the results in early December for alleged external interference and attempts to establish a fascist organization through undermining constitutional regulations. Intelligence documents suggest that Russia has arranged online campaigns, including over 800 TikTok accounts, favoring Georgescu. To do more thorough investigations, the elections were rescheduled for early May; however, on March 11th, 2025, the Constitutional Court banned Georgescu’s candidacy.
Calin Georgescu reacted negatively to this decision, referring to it as “a direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide.”, and claiming Europe was turning into a dictatorship. His loyal voters reacted negatively as well, starting mass protests around the BEC building in Bucharest. Police were involved, with tear gas sprayed on the protestors. Cars and property suffered severe damage. Following the negative domestic outbursts, international viewpoints also differed. According to CNN, annulling the elections 'handed a propaganda victory to Moscow, which has long dismissed Western democracy' and could be seen as ensuring an outcome favorable to the liberal establishment.
The USA was amongst those that criticized the ban, emphasizing that Europe is straying way from democracy and posing a threat to countries within its vicinity. Vice President JD Vance critiqued the decision to ban the elections due to the supposed “flimsy suspicions” regarding the interference of intelligence agencies. He suggested that if the if the political landscape of a country can be damaged by such allegations, then the foundations of democracy were weak to begin with. Elon Musk was amongst those who acknowledged the decision and reacted informally, posting 'This is crazy' on his personal X (Twitter) account. Musk was later accused of interference with Romanian politics.
Romania’s 9th election post communism has sparked international recognition and controversial opinions. Following Georgescu’s ban, Former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has been appointed as the candidate representing the hard-right. These elections are important not only for Romanian voters and the country's future, but also for Romania's future diplomatic relationships with Europe and other countries.
Edited by: Derya Yener