Russia reacts angrily after Romania’s far-right presidential candidate Călin Georgescu was barred from presidential election rerun
Any presidential election in Romania without the participation of Călin Georgescu is „illegitimate”, Russia said on Tuesday. „This is a violation of the democratic norms in the center of Europe”, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitri Peskov said at his Tuesday press briefing. “Any elections that take place without him will be illegitimate”, he said. Romania’s electoral body, the BEC, has blocked Mr. Georgescu’s registration as presidential candidate for the rerun scheduled on May 4. BEC mentioned a Constitutional Court ruling establishing that election results at the end of 2024 were declared null and void due to irregularities.
Romania’s former PM wishing to become the country’s next president
A former leader of the center-left Social Democrat Party (PSD), now an independent, has submitted his candidacy in Romania’s next presidential elections in May, with more than 300,000 people signing in his support. Mr. Ponta said his country was facing an unprecedented political, economic and social crisis, so there was a need for a new start and a new president able to solve all the problems. Leaders of the governing PSD are expected to exclude Mr. Ponta from the party as PSD leader, and Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, pointed out repeatedly that Mr. Ponta would be no longer a party member following his decision.
Romania’s far-right AUR party explains its alleged parliamentary strike
Romania’s far-right Alliance for Unity of Romanians (AUR) explained early on Tuesday what its decision of a parliamentary strike would mean as a protest against Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR) ruling of getting far-right candidate Călin Georgescu out of the presindential race. AUR MPs will observe parliament proceedings without expressing their final vote on its rulings in parliament or committees sessions, AUR spokesperson Dan Tanasă explained in a statement on Wednesday. „AUR, along with other sovereignist parties in Romania’s parliament, chooses to protet in a democratic and constitutional way by refusing to express their opinions and vote in parliament and parliamentary committees in the lower and upper house”, Mr. Tanasă said as quoted by Radio Romania.
Alexandru Danga, RADOR RADIO ROMÂNIA
