Romania disqualifies two far-right hopefuls ahead of presidential election

Romania’s electoral commission announced the exclusion of Diana Șoșoacă, a far-right politician, from the upcoming presidential election in May, amid escalating tensions and protests following the surprise emergence of nationalist candidates in the race.

The decision to bar Șoșoacă, a 49-year-old Euro MP known for her pro-Russia stance, comes on the heels of the electoral bureau’s earlier ruling against independent candidate Călin Georgescu, who had been polling at 40% before his exclusion, Caliber.Az reports via British media.

Both politicians have sparked controversy, with Șoșoacă also facing accusations of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda and antisemitic rhetoric.

In its statement, the electoral commission cited the country’s constitutional court, which had previously banned Șoșoacă from running in November due to her controversial statements deemed “contrary to democratic values.” Despite this, Șoșoacă vowed to challenge the ruling, describing the decision as proof that Romania is no longer a democracy. The outspoken politician, who filed her candidacy earlier this week while wearing boxing gloves, has become a symbol of defiance against what she calls the "system," echoing populist rhetoric popularized by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

The cancellation of the election in November had been triggered by allegations of Russian interference and a massive social media campaign backing Georgescu, who had unexpectedly topped the first round of voting. While the election was annulled, protests followed, and many were dismayed by Georgescu’s definitive exclusion from the race earlier this week. The first round of the rerun election is scheduled for May 4.

While Șoșoacă’s candidacy has now been rejected, the electoral commission has validated the candidacy of George Simion, leader of the far-right political party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR). With both Șoșoacă and Georgescu now sidelined, Simion remains the most prominent figure on the far right still in the running.

Simion’s AUR party, in response to Șoșoacă’s disqualification, condemned the move as a blow to Romanian democracy, claiming that it undermines fundamental rights and freedoms.

In Bucharest, several thousand people marched on March 15 in a show of support for the European Union and to protest the exclusion of Georgescu, marking another sign of the growing divide within Romanian politics.

By Khagan Isayev