Calin Georgescu, the far-right candidate in Romania, was questioned by the courts on February 26 over serious charges, including making “false statements” about his campaign financing and “incitement to unconstitutional actions.” This comes two months after the election, where he had the most votes in the first round, was annulled.
The Bucharest prosecutor’s office announced criminal proceedings against him, and he’s facing allegations like “communicating false information” and “organising a racist group.” After his questioning, Georgescu criticised what he called a “corrupt system” and claimed Brussels influenced the charges while he counted on support from the new US administration. Recently, US Vice-President JD Vance warned the Romanian government not to interfere in presidential elections.
Currently, he’s under judicial supervision with restrictions: he can’t leave Romania, use social media, or carry a weapon. The authorities also searched various locations related to claims of campaign finance violations.
The Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the election in December 2024 due to serious irregularities, with accusations that Georgescu received illegal support via TikTok. The European Commission is investigating the platform, and Georgescu has labelled the situation a “coup d’état,” prompting protests from his supporters.
Elon Musk, a backer of Georgescu, criticised his arrest on social media, claiming it was “nonsense.” “They just arrested the person who won the most votes in the Romanian presidential election. This is messed up,” Musk posted on X.
George Simion, leader of the irridentist and pro-Kremlin Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), urged people to rally against what he sees as a “coup d’état.” The government has set a new election date for May, with the first round on May 4.
