Georgescu loses court battle to overturn Romania's presidential election results
Photo: Romanian politician Călin Georgescu (Getty Images)
The High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania rejected Călin Georgescu's appeal in the case regarding the annulment of the presidential election. The decision is final, Digi 24 reports.
The court dismissed Georgescu's appeal as unfounded. Prior to this, the Bucharest Court of Appeal had thrown out a lawsuit.
The court ruled that the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) was merely executing the Constitutional Court's decision from December 6, which annulled the election, and that its decision is final and binding, thus not subject to appeal.
The court also ruled that the annulment of the presidential election did not violate the constitutional rights of Romanian citizens.
How the presidential election was canceled because of Georgescu
In the November 2024 presidential election, Georgescu ran as an independent candidate and unexpectedly won the first round with 23% of the vote.
He is considered an ultranationalist politician with pro-Russian views. The decision to annul the results came after the Romanian presidential office stated that there was intelligence confirming foreign influence in favor of Georgescu's campaign.
Among other things, it was reported that there was a covert TikTok campaign with manipulated influencers and algorithm use, as well as over 85,000 cyberattacks. The intelligence service stated that Romania was the target of aggressive hybrid actions by Russia, including information leaks and sabotage.
Ultimately, the Constitutional Court annulled the results due to reports of illegal funding of Georgescu's campaign and potential Russian interference. According to Romanian intelligence, he violated election laws by claiming zero spending on his campaign. However, it was later revealed that the TikTok videos alone were financed with €1 million.
Earlier, leaders of Romania's ruling coalition parties agreed on a date for the new elections, which will take place on May 4, 2025. If no winner is determined in the first round, the second round will take place on May 18.
It is not yet clear whether Călin Georgescu will remain a candidate for president. His participation in the election will depend on the Constitutional Court's decision, which may disqualify him from running in connection with the charges.
