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Thousands Of Pro-Russian Candidate's Supporters Protest Halt In Romanian Presidential Vote

Protesters attend a rally organized by Calin Georgescu's supporters in front of Bucharest's Palace of Parliament on January 10

Thousands of Romanians rallied in front of parliament to demand the reinstatement of the second round of a presidential election, which was canceled by the Constitutional Court as the country lurches through a constitutional crisis after a Moscow-friendly, far-right candidate won the first round.

The protest, organized by pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu, blocked traffic in central Bucharest on January 10, demanding the reversal of a court decision last month that annulled the entire presidential election -- even as a runoff vote was under way. He was to face pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi.

SEE ALSO: Who Is Calin Georgescu, The Far-Right Winner Of Romania's Presidential First Round?

The runoff had been seen as a referendum on the NATO and EU member's future course amid accusations of Russian meddling that brought thousands of Romanians on to the streets in support of the country's place in the Euro-Atlantic community.

"We want democracy and freedom in Romania, we want a functional state, true justice, competent people, and a functional state," Gabriela Iordachita, a university professor, told RFE/RL.

The court ruling came after the Supreme Defense Council declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by an unnamed "state actor" with the help of the Chinese-owned TikTok social media platform.

SEE ALSO: How TikTok Fueled The Rise Of Romania's Far-Right Presidential Candidate Georgescu

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court said the electoral process for the vote "will be resumed in its entirety, with the government to establish a new date for the election of the president of Romania, as well as a new calendar program for carrying out the necessary actions."

"I came for freedom to vote, to be free to vote however I want," Marian Zamfir, who works as an administrator at a company in Bucharest, told RFE/RL at the protest.

The protest was organized by the EPACE platform, which said it has almost 57,000 signatures supporting Georgescu's call for the second round of the election to proceed.

A new coalition government was sworn in on December 23 after parliamentary elections three weeks earlier.

One of the government's first tasks will be to set a date for the new presidential election.