Romanian populist who ran for president before election was annulled steps away from politics

Romanian populist Calin Georgescu announced his status from authorities aft being barred from moving successful the country’s statesmanlike predetermination rerun this month. 

The determination comes aft Georgescu ran for president precocious past twelvemonth and emerged victorious successful the archetypal circular of voting. However, a top Romanian tribunal past annulled the effect aft allegations emerged of electoral violations and Russian interference. Georgescu was aboriginal banned from participating successful this month’s contest, which was won by pro-European Union campaigner Nicusor Dan. 

"I take to beryllium a passive perceiver of nationalist and societal life," the 63-year-old Georgescu said successful a video posted online precocious Monday. "I take to stay extracurricular immoderate governmental enactment operation … I americium not affiliated with immoderate governmental radical successful immoderate way." 

Georgescu – who ran arsenic an autarkic successful November – said helium made his determination to instrumentality a measurement backmost pursuing the decision of the statesmanlike race, which for him indicated "the sovereignist question has travel to a close." 

ROMANIA’S NOW-BARRED PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER CLAIMS HE IS FACING TRUMP-LIKE CHARGES 

Calin Georgescu, victor of the archetypal circular of past year's annulled predetermination successful Romania, arrives astatine a polling presumption successful the 2nd circular of the country's statesmanlike predetermination redo successful Mogosoaia, Romania, connected May 18. (AP/Andreea Alexandru)

"Even though this governmental section has ended, I americium convinced that the values and ideals we fought for unneurotic stay steadfast," helium added. "My beloved ones, I person ever said that we would marque history, not politics." 

In February, prosecutors opened transgression proceedings against Georgescu, accusing him of incitement to undermine the law order, predetermination run backing abuses, and founding oregon supporting fascist, racist, xenophobic, oregon antisemitic organizations, among different charges. On Tuesday, helium was owed to look astatine the prosecutor's bureau successful Bucharest. 

Despite what appeared to beryllium a sprawling societal media run promoting him, Georgescu had declared zero run spending successful past year’s contest. A Romanian tribunal past made the unprecedented determination to annul the election. 

"This December, Romania consecutive up canceled the results of a statesmanlike predetermination based connected the flimsy suspicions of an quality bureau and tremendous unit from its continental neighbors," Vice President JD Vance said successful a speech astatine the Munich Security Conference successful February. 

GEORGESCU TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER JD VANCE’S REBUKE OF EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 

A protagonist of statesmanlike campaigner Calin Georgescu holds a poster depicting Vice President JD Vance and speechmaking "Thank you J.D. Vance for your support" arsenic helium takes portion successful a rally and march successful Bucharest, Romania, connected Feb. 22. Thousands of radical gathered to cod signatures for Calin Georgescu's candidacy successful the statesmanlike elections to beryllium held successful May 2025. (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images)

"Now, arsenic I recognize it, the statement was that Russian disinformation had infected the Romanian elections, but I'd inquire my European friends to person immoderate perspective. You tin judge it's incorrect for Russia to bargain societal media advertisements to power your elections. We surely do. You tin condemn it connected the satellite signifier even. But if your ideology tin beryllium destroyed with a fewer 100 1000 dollars of integer advertizing from a overseas country, past it wasn't precise beardown to statesman with," Vance added. 

Georgescu sparked contention for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s arsenic nationalist heroes, according to the Associated Press. He has besides praised Russian President Vladimir Putin successful the past arsenic "a antheral who loves his country" and has questioned Ukraine’s statehood, but helium claims not to beryllium pro-Russian. 

Georgescu has argued the predetermination was "canceled illegally and unconstitutionally," and aft helium was barred from the May rerun, helium accused the authorities of "inventing grounds to warrant the theft" of the elections. 

Calin Georgescu votes portion lasting adjacent to Presidential campaigner George Simion during Romania's 2nd circular of the statesmanlike election, successful Mogosoaia, Romania, connected May 18. (Reuters/Stoyan Nenov)

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Earlier this year, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bucharest successful a amusement of enactment for Georgescu. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.