Calin Georgescu, a far-right populist candidate who won the first round of Romania's canceled presidential election last year, was taken into custody for questioning by the country's top prosecutors on Wednesday. His communications team stated that Georgescu was stopped in traffic on his way to submit his new candidacy for the presidency when he was taken in for questioning at the General Prosecutor’s Office.
The country's prosecutors revealed that authorities raided 47 addresses of people and associations connected to Georgescu. The allegations against them included false statements regarding the sources of financing of an electoral campaign, illegal possession of weapons, and establishing an organization with a fascist, racist, or xenophobic character. Authorities also searched the home of Georgescu's campaign manager earlier this month.
Georgescu, in response, accused authorities of trying to fabricate evidence to justify the election's annulment and block his new candidacy for the presidency. He called on supporters to attend a protest in Bucharest.
Elon Musk, a tech billionaire involved with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, criticized the arrest of Georgescu, stating that it was unjust. Musk had previously criticized Romanian top court chief, Judge Marian Enache, for voting to annul the election's first round.
The Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the election two days before the Dec. 8 runoff following Georgescu's first-round win. Allegations of Russian interference and electoral violations emerged, leading to an investigation into campaign funding fraud, antisemitism, and hate speech.
Vice President JD Vance of the Trump administration criticized Romania for canceling the election, citing concerns about the erosion of democratic values in Europe. Vance warned against silencing opposition voices and disregarding the electorate's will.
Thousands of protesters rallied in support of Georgescu in Bucharest, contesting the legality of the election's cancellation. The rerun of the election is scheduled for May, with uncertainty surrounding Georgescu's participation.
Georgescu, known for his controversial statements on NATO, Ukraine, and historical figures, has denied any wrongdoing and challenged the legality of the election's annulment.
