Romania’s electoral body has rejected far-right politician Diana Sosoaca’s bid for president, but approved George Simion, the leader of the country’s most popular far-right party. The Central Election Bureau (BEC) barred Sosoaca from running on grounds that her pro-Russia views and opposition to Romania’s EU and NATO memberships made her unfit to uphold the constitutional obligations of the presidency.
Sosoaca claimed that the democratic system has been destroyed and that elections have already been rigged, in a public letter posted online. The court’s decision to bar her from last year’s race drew criticism from civil rights groups and politicians, who denounced it as undermining democracy or politically motivated.
Simion, 38, has expressed concerns that he could also be excluded from the upcoming race. He has denied any wrongdoing and claims the investigation into him is politically motivated. Despite controversy surrounding his own campaign, Simion has been approved to run alongside pro-Western Elena Lasconi and Calin Georgescu in the May 4 presidential rerun.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in central Bucharest to counter a “wave of sovereignism and ultranationalism” that they say threatens unity. The BEC validated Simion’s candidacy, while Sosoaca will appeal the bureau’s decision within 24 hours. Romania’s first round of the presidential rerun is scheduled for May 4, with a potential runoff held on May 18 if no candidate wins over 50% of the votes.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/romania-presidency-candidates-simion-sosoaca-2a52240b31506ee3a4df29166eeb020c