[written on 6/12/2024 - ongoing] 

[6/12/2024] 

for the first time in history, Constitutional Court has announced that the first 2 voting rounds will be annulled due to Russian interference and voting fraud. This is easier said than done - this year’s elections have shown a higher number of voters compared to 2019, that number being more than 9 million people. 

So how did we get here? 

In the first tour of elections, the exit polls showed that 2 of the candidates would be fighting against one another in the final election round - Marcel Ciolacu, president of the democratic party (PSD), and Elena Lasconi, ex-journalist and current mayor of a rural county (Câmpulung). 

To everyone’s surprise, the final candidates of this year’s elections, which went to round 2 of elections are Elena Lasconi and Călin Georgescu - but who is Călin Georgescu and why is the population concerned with the outcome? 

Candidate Portrait - Călin Georgescu 

Călin Georgescu is an “independent” candidate, far-right politician and agronomist. He is known for his work for United Nations but also being the ex-president of the nationalist and far-right political party “Alliance for the Unity of Romanians” (AUR). 

Known for his pro-Russian, anti-NATO, and extreme far-right views, he stirred a lot of comments due to promoting conspiracy theories such as “The word Gaza originates from gas”, “Water is not H2O”, ”Pepsi has microchips”, but also Covid-19 and climate change denial. These conspiracies have gained him a popularity on social platforms such as TikTok and Facebook. 

As a presidential candidate, Călin Georgescu emphasized several key issues. He criticized Romania's involvement with NATO and expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, showcasing his anti-NATO and pro-Russian stance. Georgescu dismissed climate change as a fabricated issue used to manipulate public opinion and denied the existence of COVID-19, promoting conspiracy theories about the pandemic. Additionally, he advocated for Romania to be more self-sufficient in both farm and energy production, highlighting his focus on economic self-sufficiency. 

With the power of social media, he has gained 23% of votes in the first round of the elections which showed a mixed result of feelings from the population. 

It was revealed by investigative Romanian news agency Recorder, that most of Călin Georgescu’s speeches and ‘ideas’ are none of his own but were plagiarised from controversial documentaries, movies, and TV series. Notably, one of his speeches even included a segment from a speech given by Legionnaire Ion Antonescu on October 6th, 1940. Ion Antonescu, a military officer and politician, influential during World War ll, established a military dictatorship in Romania that aligned with Nazi Germany, one of the Axis powers - he was arrested, tried and executed on June 1st, 1946, for war crimes such as the massacre of Jews and Romani people in Romania. 

That being said, Georgescu’s speech sparked outrage across Romania, especially students who took to the streets and protested for days against him and the rise of fascist ideas in the country. These demonstrations highlighted the strong opposition to any rhetoric that reminded people of Romania’s dark historical past. 

“Students were asking for democracy in 1989                                                                

Students are asking for democracy in 2024!!” 

[Source - Bogdan Ghioca] 

Candidate Portrait - Elena Lasconi 

Elena Lasconi is a prominent figure in Romanian Politics, known for her career of being a journalist and her newly founded career in politics. The public usually has a good perception of her as a dedicated and hard-working person with two decades worth of television experience. In 2020, she left her career in journalism in ordered to pursue politics, becoming the mayor of a countryside village- Campulung Muscel. 

Elena Lasconi, the leader of the party USR (Union Save Romania) announced her candidacy for the presidential elections in 2024. Her campaign in concentrated around democratic reform, reduction in labour taxes, economic reforms, but also improving public infrastructure. Lasconi promotes pro-Europe, she supports human rights, being perceived as a ray of hope for the liberals and democrats. 

The public appreciates her efforts in being determined, her transparency and her effort in bringing positive changes in the community. However, she is not seen by all voters as a good candidate. In 2018, she was trapped in a family scandal due to her daughter’s sexual orientation. In 2018, Romanian had a referendum concerning changing the constitution of the country and legalising same-sex marriages. Elena voted against same-sex marriages, supporting traditional values. Her daughter, Oana, identifies herself with the LGBTQ+ community and she publicly expressed her disgust of this decision, naming her mother ‘a homophobe’. Thos situations generated numerous reactions in mass-media as it brought into discussion the complexity of family relations and social prejudice. For Elena, this was not only a personal challenge, but also a public one, taking into account her status of being a community leader and a public person. 

All events that led to the annulment of elections 

The cancellation of the 2024 presidential elections was a controversial decision by the Constitutional Court, sparking numerous reactions and debates. The Court justified the annulment based on significant irregularities in the electoral process, including allegations of fraud and vote manipulation. This decision was widely regarded as illegal and immoral, undermining public trust in the democratic system and the essence of voting as a cornerstone of democracy. Reactions varied, ranging from public protests to vehement criticism from politicians and civil society, highlighting the importance of transparency and fairness in the electoral process. 

Elena Lasconi, the leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) party, was one of the most vocal critics of this decision. She emphasized that the annulment of the elections represents a direct attack on democracy and the fundamental right of citizens to choose their leaders. Lasconi called for a thorough investigation into the fraud allegations and demanded measures to ensure the integrity of future electoral processes. 

Moreover, the annulment of the elections had a significant impact on Romania's political landscape, creating uncertainty and tensions among various parties and candidates. Many viewed this decision as an attempt to manipulate the results in favour of certain political interests, leading to further polarization within Romanian society. 

Călin Georgescu, the ultranationalist independent candidate, was one of the most affected by this decision. Georgescu had won the first round of the presidential elections in November 2024, securing 22.94% of the votes. However, the Constitutional Court annulled the elections based on intelligence reports indicating irregularities and the involvement of state actors in cyberattacks aimed at undermining the integrity of the electoral process. Georgescu challenged the Constitutional Court's decision at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), but his request to suspend the ruling was denied. Despite these challenges, Georgescu remains a strong candidate in the rescheduled elections for May 2025, supported by a significant portion of the nationalist electorate. 

[7/12/2024] 

Several searches take place in Brașov, targeting Bogdan Peșchir, the financier of Călin Georgescu's campaign for the presidential elections. 

The searches take place as part of investigations aimed at the possible involvement of a natural person in the illegal financing of the electoral campaign of a candidate for the Presidency of Romania. The documents presented by SRI show that Bogdan Peșchir financed Călin Georgescu's campaign on TikTok through donations of over one million euros. 

The Constitutional Court of Romania confirmed that the mandate of Klaus Iohannis will continue until the newly elected president is sworn in. 

The decision was taken considering the complexity and time duration of the electoral operations required after the decision was issued. Thus, the incumbent president will remain in office until the inauguration of the newly elected president. The Constitutional Court annulled the presidential elections, including the results of the first round, and the electoral process will have to be restarted from scratch. 

[8/12/24] 

The investigators confiscated 7 million dollars from Bogdan Peşchir, the alleged financier of Călin Georgescu's campaign. No preventive measures were taken. 

According to the first sources from the investigation regarding the way in which the campaign of the independent Călin Georgescu was financed, the searches in the case of this controversial character have ended. As expected, this individual's fortune was made by getting rich with crypto coins. The transfer of 7 million dollars from Pașchir's account to the accounts of the National Agency for the Administration of Undisclosed Assets (ANABI) was ordered. No preventive measures were taken in the case of Peșchir. 

[9/12/24] 

George Simion, together with his supporters, lit candles and held a moment of silence for democracy in Romania. 

George Simion announced that he could not go to vote on the day scheduled for the second round of the presidential elections due to medical problems. He participated in an AUR event, where he lit candles for democracy in Romania. Simion called for balance and dialogue, announcing that the AUR will collaborate with all parliamentarians who support the annulment of the presidential elections through the decision of the CCR. 

PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR begin negotiations for the formation of the new Government. 

After the signing of a resolution by the political parties, the negotiations for the formation of the Government begin in the context of the cancellation of the presidential elections. PSD considers itself entitled to propose the prime minister, considering the result obtained in the parliamentary elections. Also, the PNL faces difficulties in nominating a prime minister, due to the low score obtained. 

[10/12/24] 

Călin Georgescu sued the Presidential Administration and security services, challenging the declassified documents related to his electoral campaign. 

Călin Georgescu sued the Presidential Administration, contesting the documents declassified by the secret services related to his electoral campaign. The declassification of these documents led to the cancellation by the Constitutional Court of the first round of the presidential elections, where Călin Georgescu had ranked first. 

[16/12/24] 

Nicușor Dan will announce his independent candidacy in the presidential elections. 

Nicușor Dan will run independently for the presidency, without negotiating support with pro-European parties. He will need to collect 200,000 signatures to be able to submit his candidacy. In the event of a victory, he will have to resign from the position of mayor of the Capital, and the organization of new elections for the mayor's office will be decided by the Government. 

The mayor of the capital, Nicușor Dan: "I am announcing that I intend to run for the presidential elections in 2025". 

The Mayor of the Capital, Nicușor Dan, announced his intention to run for the presidential elections in 2025 as an independent candidate, in a statement held at the headquarters of the Capital City Hall. 

"I will run independently. I am open to discussions with pro-European parties to support this candidacy. A president is needed to ensure that the pro-reform direction announced by the parties is followed in their activity", declared Nicușor Dan. 

[21/12/24] 

Members of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly express concern about Russia's efforts to undermine Romania's electoral process. 

They emphasized that it is the prerogative of the Romanian people to choose their leaders, and the US respects this sovereign right. They also mentioned that they are concerned about Russian efforts to undermine the integrity of Romania's democratic institutions, including by manipulating social media platforms. The US delegation assured Romania of their support in organizing free and fair presidential elections. 

ANAF discovered that a promotion campaign on TikTok of candidate Călin Georgescu was paid for with funds from PNL. 

ANAF investigated the financing of several promotional actions on social media, at the request of AEP, in the electoral campaign for the presidential elections. The tax office interviewed the people involved, from companies and individuals, and investigated the financial flows. The promotion campaign on TikTok for Călin Georgescu was paid for with PNL money, according to a Snoop.ro 

[8/1/25] 

The ruling coalition decided that the first round of the presidential elections will take place on May 4, and the second round on May 18. Crin Antonescu continues to be the common candidate of the governing Coalition in the presidential elections. 

The decision was taken in order not to overlap the election date with the Easter and Flower holidays. It was also agreed that the state budget should be presented at the Coalition meeting by January 27, to be adopted by the Romanian Parliament in the first week of February. 

Elena Lasconi, president of USR, emphasized that setting the date of the presidential elections is a positive step, but pointed out that there are still questions to which the governing coalition must answer. 

Lasconi stressed that it is good that a timetable has been set for the elections, but he believes that questions remain unanswered, such as why it waited until now to present the timetable, why the date of May 4 was chosen and who is responsible for cancelling the elections precedents. She emphasized that politicians are "accustomed to puppets, not people of good faith" and are trying to impose themselves further. 

[15/1/25] 

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced drastic fines for social networks that favour a certain candidate in the presidential elections. 

Ciolacu emphasized the need for the May 4 presidential elections to be held according to rules that ensure a fair competition, without any social media tool favouring a particular candidate. The fines would be up to 5% of the turnover of the platform that violates the rules. The government is to adopt a decision to set the date of the presidential elections and an emergency ordinance regarding the measures to organize and conduct them. 

[16/1/25] 

The government has officially set the two rounds of the presidential election to take place on May 4 and 18, 2025. The election campaign begins on February 18, 2025. 

The government issued two rulings and an emergency ordinance regarding the 2025 presidential election. Measures were also established regarding the conduct of the election campaign and political advertising, including changes to the voting program in the diaspora. The electoral period will begin on February 18, 2025, and violations of the provisions relating to political advertising are punishable by a fine. 

The government decided that the polling stations in the Diaspora will close on Sunday, May 4, at 21:00 Romanian time, not local time. 

The decision was taken to avoid the vote being influenced by time zone differences, following a proposal by the Permanent Electoral Authority. The measure was exemplified with the situation in the USA, where the closing of the polls will take place around noon, when in Romania it is 9:00 p.m. The executive has adopted the Government's decision to set the dates of the 2025 presidential elections. 

What happens now? 

I have been taught that we live in a democratic world where we have the power to decide our own fate, where our fundamental rights and freedoms are respected and guaranteed by the state. But what assurance do we have that this democratic-liberal-capitalist system is what the media tells us it is? Is it true that the system offers us freedom, or is it just an illusion? What is democracy, after all? It is the power of the people, the power of the majority, the imposition of the will of the citizens in the political sphere. At least, that's the theory. We are told that thanks to the right to vote every few years, we can decide which politicians will lead us. 

But if we carefully analyse the situation in Romania, we cannot truly speak of a democracy. The so-called multi-party system is nothing more than a beautiful packaging that hides a single type of person: the corrupt politician, responsible for the destruction of the country. We have several major parties: PSD, PNL, PDL, PPDD, PC, UDMR, etc., which are presented to us as alternatives. In reality, it's as if we are offered multiple types of poison when we need water. Some of these parties are successors of the Communist Party, and the rest have among their members a multitude of former communists and Securitate agents. The ideological differences are almost non-existent, and comparing these parties to legally registered criminal groups is no longer an exaggeration. None of the major parties currently represent the will of the majority. 

And as for the future, uncertainty still rests. neither I, nor the government knows what lies ahead.