Romanian far-right presidential hopeful barred from poll rerun
- BBC News
Romanian far-right populist Calin Georgescu has been barred from participating in Mays presidential election rerun by the countrys Central Electoral Bureau.
In December, Romanias constitutional court annulled the first round of the vote - in which he came first - after intelligence revealed Russia had been involved in 800 TikTok accounts backing him.
The bureau rejected his candidacy for what it called "procedural issues", without providing further details. Georgescu called the decision a "direct blow" to democracy.
He now has 24 hours from Sundays verdict to submit an official appeal, which should issue a ruling within 72 hours.
Several thousand supporters of the presidential hopeful have gathered outside the offices of the Electoral Bureau.
In a social media post, Georgescu called the ban a "direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide".
On 26 February, he was arrested on his way to register as a candidate in the summer election, prompting tens of thousands of Romanians to march on Bucharests streets in protest.
He was charged with attempting to overthrow constitutional order and membership of a neo-fascist organisation. He has denied all wrongdoing.
The 62-year-old independent came from nowhere to win the first round of last years election, the results of which were annulled just days before the second round of voting.
One key to his sudden popularity was his promise to "restore Romanias dignity" and end subservience to the international organisations it belongs to, including Nato and the EU.
Before last years annulment, the pro-Russian politician told the BBC he would end all support for Ukraine if he was elected.
