Election authorities have cleared an ultranationalist party leader to run in Romania's May presidential election, days after the Constitutional Court upheld a decision to bar far-right populist Calin Georgescu from the ballot.
The Central Electoral Board (BEC) approved the candidacy of George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) and an ally of Georgescu's. The March 15 ruling came one day after Simion filed his application for registration as a candidate.
Simion and Anamaria Gavrila, leader of the far-right Party of Young People (POT) and a former AUR member, announced earlier this week they would both seek to enter the race and that if both are cleared, one will withdraw. Gavrila was expected to file her application on March 15, the deadline to do so.
Also on March 15, the BEC rejected the candidacy of another far-right politician, SOS Romania party leader Diana Sosoaca, and approved the candidacy of pro-European centrist Elena Lasconi. Sosoaca had also been rejected when the election was initially held in November.
Georgescu, who is critical of NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, was the surprise winner of the most votes in the first round of the election, on November 24. Simion placed fourth.
After that vote, Romanian intelligence said foreign actors, most likely Russia, had manipulated social media platforms, especially TikTok, to benefit Georgescu. On December 6, with a runoff in pitting Georgescu against Lasconi already under way, the Constitutional Court threw out the entire presidential election.
It was later rescheduled for May, with the first round on May 4 and a runoff, if needed, on May 18.
Supporters of Georgescu have held several protests over the decision to bar him from the ballot.
On March 15, demonstrators from the other side of the political divide held a rally in Bucharest to voice solidarity with what they said are European values.
