Romanian far-right candidate barred from May presidential vote

Calin Georgescu and his wife Cristela Georgescu arrive at the Central Electoral Bureau where Georgescu submitted his candidacy for the May presidential ballot re-run, in Bucharest, Romania, March 7, 2025. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS/File Photo

BUCHAREST (Reuters) -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.

The cancellation on December 6 of the presidential election due to allegations of Russian meddling in Georgescu's favour has thrust Romania to the heart of a dispute between the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and European nations over how democratic values should be defined.