Romania's constitutional court unanimously voted to uphold the decision rejecting ultranationalist politician Calin Georgescu's candidacy in the upcoming presidential elections in May, sparking a fresh round of protests by his supporters in Bucharest on Tuesday. Some 150 demonstrators had gathered in front of the country's top court by Tuesday evening, amid increased security measures as gendarmes lined the perimeter around the building, Euronews Romania reported. On Sunday, Romania's Central Electoral Committee suspended Georgescu's application, stating that his previous actions and statements were in contravention of the values the presidential office requires, while his candidacy goes against the court rulings in late 2024. Georgescu on Monday exercised his right to appeal the decision in front of the constitutional court, as per Romanian law. Dubbed the "TikTok Messiah," Georgescu came out on top in the first round of Romania's presidential elections in December. However, the country's constitutional court annulled the vote following the declassification of intelligence reports showing Russian involvement in influencing voters through social media to support the then-relatively unknown candidate. Georgescu is also facing criminal proceedings including anticonstitutional acts and misreporting his campaign finances. The charges also revolve around his support for sympathizers of the Iron Guard, a pre-World War II fascist and antisemitic movement and political party, which is illegal under Romanian law. — Euronews
