Romania’s electoral bureau has barred Calin Georgescu from running for office in May
Scuffles between police and supporters of Romanian politician Calin Georgescu have erupted outside the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) in Bucharest after the body barred the politician from running in the upcoming election. Georgescu won the first-round of the presidential vote in November but his victory was soon thereafter annulled by the Constitutional Court.
Georgescu condemned Sunday's ruling, claiming the electoral board's decision spells grave consequences for democracy not only in Romania but all across the globe.
“A direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide! I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall! This is just the beginning. It’s that simple! Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!” Georgescu wrote on X.
The BEC ruling can be appealed to the Constitutional Court within 24 hours, while the top judiciary body will have 48 hours to produce a final decision.
The electoral board did not provide any explanation for its decision, stating only the full text for the ruling will be published online later on.
The announcement elicited an angry reaction from a crowd of Georgescu’s supporters who had gathered outside the BEC building. Many of the protesters became unruly and attempted to breach police barriers and scuffled with law enforcement, which had a large presence in the area. Officers responded with tear gas and pepper spray, which appear to have affected multiple protesters, footage from the scene suggests.
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