The first round of the presidential elections in Romania will probably be repeated on March 23, while the second is scheduled for April 6, according to government sources informed Morning Express on Monday. The announcement comes after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round organized at the end of November, just two days before the final round, due to the alleged interference of a “state actor” in the victory of the ultranationalist and pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu. The same sources also indicated that the date will be approved in the first session of the Government, starting on January 8 and that the pro-European government coalition, formed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the minority Hungarian (UDMR), decided to hold the elections on those days in a session held last Saturday. According to Romanian law, the Executive establishes by decree the date of the vote at least 75 days before election day.
With the first question cleared up, we only need to know if Georgescu, who shocked the entire country with his comfortable and unexpected victory without being barely known by the electorate, will run for president and if the judicial body will allow him to do so. The politician, who secured his victory thanks to his campaign on the Chinese social network TikTok without investing a single euro, appealed the Constitutional ruling to the Bucharest Court of Appeal, which must make a decision in the coming weeks. Precisely, this Monday, nearly 1,000 people protested in front of the judicial institution to show their support for the candidate, who also has the support of the extreme right forces of this Eastern European country, such as the Alliance for the Union of the Romanians (AUR) and MEP Diana Sosoaca.
On Saturday, a survey by the IRES polling company revealed that 48% of respondents would have voted for Georgescu and 29% for Elena Lasconi, the center-right candidate who would have brought together the pro-European vote, if the second round of elections had not been cancelled. the presidential elections. In the same survey, 60% indicate that canceling the democratic process was a bad decision that will be detrimental to the country and will increase sentiment in favor of the nationalists.
The leaders of the pro-European coalition have already publicly announced that their candidate will be Crin Antonescu, a controversial politician who tried to overthrow former president Traian Basescu in 2012 through an impeachment process that did not bear fruit when the referendum was not validated because a quorum of 30% was not reached. stake. Lasconi has also confirmed his candidacy, as has the current mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, who is highly regarded in the country. Georgescu also wants to return to the race, while the far-right leader of AUR, George Simion, has stated that he will support him and will only enter the race if Georgescu is not allowed to run.
The Constitutional Court decided to annul the first round just two days before the second round and when the diaspora had begun to vote, analyzing secret service documents that suggested that Georgescu had violated electoral legislation regarding the financing of his campaign. Although he did not report expenses to the Permanent Electoral Authority, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Ministry of the Interior pointed out that the financing of his campaign on TikTok was produced through the contribution of one million euros by a controversial businessman. Furthermore, analyzes declassified by the Supreme Defense Council, headed by the country’s current president, Klaus Iohannis, show that cyberattacks have occurred on the computer and technological infrastructure used for the electoral process, and that Romania has been the target of hybrid actions aggressive on the part of Russia.
At the same time, the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) warned that Romania “has become a priority for Russia’s hostile actions”: “There is a growing interest in the Kremlin to influence [al menos] in the mood and agenda of Romanian society in an electoral context.” These actions are manifested through propaganda and disinformation, supporting some Eurosceptic candidates and fueling some anti-system movements, even “getting involved in protests that shape the public agenda”, fomenting discontent or provoking emotional reactions at the population level, to pressure authorities to reduce or suspend support for Ukraine. From a legal point of view, no instance can annul a decision of the Constitutional Court.
