Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) on Sunday rejected the candidacy of independent politician Calin Georgescu, a staunch critic of the West and NATO, for the coming presidential election on May 4. Georgescu led the first round of the annulled November 2024 election.

Romania's central election authority on Sunday barred far-right pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu from running in May's presidential election re-run, a decision likely to deepen a constitutional crisis in the European Union and NATO member.

Clashes erupt in Bucharest over the ban on Calin Georgescu, whose unexpected presidential election first-round win was annulled.

The country’s electoral commission ruled on Sunday that Calin Georgescu, an outspoken critic of Ukraine and NATO, could not compete in the do-over election.