Romanian court orders recount of presidential election first round

28 November 2024, 14:54

Calin Georgescu holds a finger beneath his eye
APTOPIX Romania Election. Picture: PA

Far-right populist Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round in the election.

A top Romanian court has asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election.

The Constitutional Court in Bucharest voted unanimously in favour of the recount, and said the decision is final.

The Central Election Bureau is scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the request.

Calin Georgescu, a little-known, far-right populist, won the first round in the election, beating the incumbent prime minister.

Mr Georgescu, who ran independently, was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi in a December 8 run-off.

Pre-election surveys predicted he would win less than 10% of the vote.

A woman shouts next to a banner depicting a grumpy cat with a text that reads “I feel like barking” in Bucharest, Romania
Mr Georgescu’s unexpected win has sparked widespread protests (AP)

Mr Georgescu’s unexpected success has prompted nightly protests by people who are concerned with previous remarks he has made in praise of Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin, and believe he poses a threat to democracy.

The vote recount was prompted by a complaint made by Cristian Terhes, a former presidential candidate of the Romanian National Conservative Party who obtained 1% of the vote, who alleged that the USR had urged people to vote before some diaspora polls had closed on Sunday, saying it violated electoral laws against campaign activities on polling day.

After the CCR’s ruling, Mr Terhes’ press office said in a statement on Facebook that the court ordered the recount “due to indications of fraud”, and alleged Mr Terhes had “presented evidence suggesting” that valid votes cast for Ludovic Orban = who had dropped out of the race but remained on the ballot – had been reassigned to Ms Lasconi.

It is the first time in Romania’s 35-year post-communist history that the country’s most powerful party, the PSD, did not have a candidate in the second round of a presidential race. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu resigned as PSD party leader after he narrowly lost to Ms Lasconi by just 2,740 votes.

Ms Lasconi criticised the CCR’s decision, saying “Extremism is fought by voting, not backstage games.

“What the CCR is trying to do now is absolutely horrific for a democratic country,” she said.

“I am here to defend democracy and call on the Central Election Bureau to handle the vote recount wisely. The law must be the same for all, not interpreted differently for some.”

Elena Lasconi with a Romanian flag
Elena Lasconi of Save Romania Union had been due to contest the run-off (AP)

Ms Lasconi, a former journalist, had told The Associated Press ahead of the first-round vote that she saw corruption as one of Romania’s biggest issues and vowed to tackle it.

“Romania deserves better, not a group of old politicians who use institutions strictly for their personal interest,” Ms Lasconi added on Thursday.

The CCR also rejected a request by another unsuccessful first-round candidate, Sebastian Popescu, to annul the ballot.

He alleged Mr Georgescu – who declared zero campaign spending – had not disclosed financing linked to a massive TikTok campaign, which many have credited for his success.

Mr Popescu, who got 0.15% in the first round, also alleged in his appeal that Mr Georgescu had used widespread disinformation and “defrauded the electoral law by illegally financing the entire electoral campaign, having support from outside the country’s borders, from state entities with the aim of destabilizing Romania”.

Mr Georgescu, who said a network of Romanian volunteers helped his campaign, has denied any wrongdoing.

“They want to ban the right of the Romanian people to speak freely,” he told a local news channel, adding the first-round vote “was perfectly democratic and legitimate”.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Video footage shows the convoy had emergency lights flashing when it was hit

Israel admits ‘mistakenly’ killing 15 aid workers after video leak contradicted official version of events

Jaguar Land Rover has paused shipments to the US in the wake of 'Liberation Day' tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover halts shipments to US in wake of tariffs as Trump insists he'll win 'economic revolution'

Flowers and toys left on a swing seat to commemorate victims killed in Russia's missile attack on Friday

Death toll from Russian strike on Zelenskyy's home town rises as 18 confirmed dead - including nine children

Donald Trump's 10% tariff on UK products has officially come into force

Trump tariffs come into force as global stock markets plunge deeper into the red

Tom Howard

British tourist killed after being struck by boulder on trek through Himalayas

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a car burns following a Russian missile attack that killed more than a dozen people, including children, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russia kills 16 people including three children in missile strike on Zelenskyy's home town, with dozens wounded

Travel influencer Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, made an illegal visit to North Sentinel Island

Tourist who left Coke for world's most isolated tribe 'could have wiped them all out' - and police 'can't go collect can'

White House weighs in to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

White House looking to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

This image provided by NASA shows Nick Hague, right, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore. (NASA via AP)

Stranded NASA astronauts reveal they were almost trapped in space 'forever' after horror malfunction

Donald Trump demands France 'free Marine Le Pen'

Donald Trump demands France 'free Marine Le Pen' after far-right leader found guilty of embezzlement in 'witch hunt'

China will impose a 34% retaliatory tariff on imports from the US

China announces additional 34% tariffs on US imports in retaliation over Trump's 'Liberation Day' levies

Friends of Prince Andrew say he's "unsurprised" Giuffre made the post

Prince Andrew 'not surprised' his accuser shared shock post saying she had 'four days to live'

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office as impeachment upheld over martial law declaration

Virginia Giuffre

Woman driving Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre during crash that left her with 'four days to live' breaks silence

Exclusive
'Donald Trump has made Putin comfortable,' Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned

'Trump has made Putin comfortable' despite massive Ukraine war losses, exiled former oligarch tells LBC

The bodies of Andrew Searle and his wife Dawn were discovered by a neighbour.

British couple found dead in south of France home being ‘treated as murder-suicide’