 "After Georgescu, Romania bans second far-right hopeful from contesting presidential poll")
Ahead of a crucial poll, Romania’s electoral commission on Saturday barred the second far-right hopeful from contesting in the country’s presidential election, scheduled for May. Diana Șoșoacă, a far-right politician, was excluded from the race on Saturday. Earlier this month, the election bureau banned Călin Georgescu , an independent, who was polling at about 40 per cent.
Georgescu, a fierce EU and Nato critic, gained prominence last November when he topped the first round of presidential voting . At that time, the country’s constitutional court annulled the polls after allegations of Russian interference and a massive social media campaign in his favour.
On Saturday, the election commission announced that it had also taken the “decision to reject the candidacy of Diana Șoșoacă”. It is pertinent to note that the country’s constitutional court has already barred her from contesting last November for making speeches “contrary to democratic values”.
Diana Șoșoacă: The pro-Russian MP that rattled Romanian politics
Șoșoacă, a 49-year-old Euro MP, is known for her pro-Russian stance . “I am proof that we do not live in a democracy,” she said after the election commission ruling, assuring that she would appeal the ban. On Thursday, the Romanian politician stirred headlines after she donned boxing gloves as she filed her candidacy.
She declared herself ready to “fight the system once again” as she bid to “make Europe and Romania great again”, often flashing Trumpian terms. Șoșoacă has been accused of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda and frequently garnered backlash for her antisemitic views.
During the pandemic, she opposed anti-Covid measures, and in July 2024, she was expelled from the European Parliament in Strasbourg after loudly interrupting debates. Her party, SOS Romania, won 4 seats after securing about 7 per cent of votes in December’s legislative elections.
Meanwhile, the Romanian electoral office did validate the candidacy of George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR). After Georgescu’s exit, Simion remains the most prominent figure on the far right who is still running. While commenting on the matter, Simion’s AUR said banning Șoșoacă’s candidacy “represents a further blow to Romanian democracy and a serious violation of fundamental rights and freedoms”.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsGeorgescu’s exclusion from the race led to some violent protests across the country. On Saturday, thousands marched through Bucharest to express their attachment to the EU.
With inputs from agencies.
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