Romanian far-right presidential hopeful barred from poll rerun

Clashes erupt in Bucharest over the ban on Calin Georgescu, whose unexpected presidential election first-round win was annulled.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersRomanian far-right presidential hopeful barred from poll rerun14 hours agoShareSaveNick ThorpeBBC Central Europe correspondentHafsa KhalilBBC NewsShareSaveWatch: Protesters clash with police in Bucharest after Georgescu rulingRomanian far-right populist Calin Georgescu has been barred from participating in May's presidential election rerun by the country's Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), triggering clashes between his supporters and police.

Last year, Romania's constitutional court annulled November's first round of the vote - in which he came first - after intelligence revealed Russia had been involved in 800 TikTok accounts backing him.

The BEC rejected his candidacy on Sunday, saying it "doesn't meet the conditions of legality", as he "violated the very obligation to defend democracy".

Georgescu called that decision a "direct blow" to democracy. He now has 24 hours from Sunday's verdict to submit an official appeal to the top court, which should issue a ruling within 72 hours.

In a social media post, Georgescu called the ban a "direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d8n140mpjo

---