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Romania’s Right George Simon Becomes Presidential Candidate

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BUCHAREST/BUDAPEST (Worthy News)— Romania’s electoral bureau has cleared right party leader George Simion to run in the country’s tense presidential re-run election in May.

Simion, leader of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the second-largest party in last year’s general election, had withdrawn from the presidential race in support of ultranationalist Călin Georgescu.

He announced his candidacy after Romania’s Constitutional Court barred Georgescu from running on the May ballot despite U.S. criticism.

Earlier, the country’s Central Electoral Bureau said Georgescu “had violated Romania’s election rules” while coming out of nowhere to win the first round of the presidential vote last November, partly due to a wildly successful social media platform TikTok campaign.

Georgescu won the first round of the initial presidential elections in December before they were annulled.

Authorities said the vote had been overshadowed by vote manipulation, campaign irregularities, and non-transparent funding along with suspected Russian meddling, a charge denied by Moscow.

Georgescu himself is under criminal investigation on six counts, including “membership of a fascist organization” and “communicating false information” about campaign financing.

OFFICIALS QUESTIONED

Officials also questioned how he could win the first round of the canceled election after a highly coordinated TikTok campaign despite saying he had spent zero funds. He denies any wrongdoing.

Simion, 38, is also under criminal investigation for “inciting violence” after last year’s first-round winner, Georgescu, was barred from entering the rerun.

He has also denied any wrongdoing and claims the investigation is politically motivated.

Simon has been a key figure in recent protests by what critics view as far-right groups.

They denounced a top court’s decision to cancel the previous election, which Simion has described as a coup to undermine democracy.

The administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump has also expressed concern. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk have launched forceful attacks on Romania’s decision to cancel its presidential election in December.

Vance said the cancellation meant Romania does not share American values, while Musk labeled the country’s top court chief judge a “tyrant.” The rerun elections will be held on May 4 and May 18 this year.