Romania: New presidential elections in May

(Patria) - The Romanian government announced yesterday that new presidential elections will be held in May, after the Supreme Court, in a spectacular reversal, annulled the elections held on December 6, two days before the second round, claiming that the outcome of the first round of elections was the result of Russian interference.

The Supreme Court ruled that leading candidate Calin Georgescu, a critic of the NATO alliance, benefited from an unfair social media campaign that, according to the court, was likely organized by Russia, which Moscow has denied.

The court then ordered that the elections be repeated in full, and it was up to the pro-European coalition government to set the date.

- The first round of the presidential elections will be held on May 4, and the second round on May 18 - said government spokesperson Mihai Constantin.

In the first round, a surprising victory was achieved by 62-year-old presidential candidate Georgescu, whom the authorities accused of benefiting from an illegal campaign on TikTok, and the European Commission launched an investigation.

Tens of thousands of Romanians expressed anger over the annulment of the presidential elections, demanding the continuation of the elections and the resignation of the current president Klaus Iohannis.

Iohannis, whose term expired on December 21, will remain in power until his successor is elected.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters, including leftists and those angered by the annulment of the elections, joined a protest organized by the opposition right-wing party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the second largest Romanian party.

- We demand the return of democracy by continuing the second round of elections - AUR leader George Simion told reporters.

Organizers said there were 100,000 people at the protest, but riot police estimated the number to be closer to 20,000. Demonstrators waved flags and chanted "Freedom" and "Bring back the second round".

It is not known whether Georgescu, who criticizes NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine, will be allowed to run again. He has appealed the decision of the Romanian Supreme Court, and has also filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights.

Romania has the longest land border with Ukraine in the EU and NATO. It has helped export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea port of Constanta, trained Ukrainian military pilots, and donated a Patriot missile defense system to Kyiv.

Romania is one of the pillars of NATO's eastern flank, along with Hungary and Slovakia, which are inclined towards Russia, and in response, several Romanian pro-European political forces united at the end of December and formed a government. They are expected to choose a common candidate in the repeated presidential elections.