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The Central Electoral Bureau has decided to reject the candidacy of Călin Georgescu in the presidential elections. After the BEC verdict, there is a 24-hour period during which appeals can be formally filed with the Constitutional Court, which has another 48 hours to come up with a solution. Thus, a final decision will be made by the CCR no later than Wednesday evening.
Călin Georgescu’s supporters became aggressive after learning of the BEC’s decision. The demonstrators in front of the BEC reacted violently, breaking the fences installed by the gendarmes.
The violence continues, with demonstrators pushing and shoving the gendarmes. One gendarme was hit and dragged out of the crowd. Some of the demonstrators climbed the walls of buildings in the Old Town.
Upon learning of the decision, the demonstrators in front of the BEC headquarters broke the fences installed by the gendarmes, threw bottles and various objects and jostled with the police. Later, after the publication of the reasons for the decision, Georgescu’s supporters threw firecrackers, pieces of stone torn from the pavement and set fire to some objects, and the gendarmes intervened with tear gas. The demonstration ended around 02:00. The police said that they would analyze the existing images, “and the necessary legal measures will be ordered, depending on each individual situation.”
The BEC invalidated the candidacy of Călin Georgescu, with ten votes “for” and four “against”.
The Central Electoral Bureau justified its decision by claiming that it had taken into account the issues “already decided” by the Constitutional Court, and that persons running for the Presidency must “respect the Constitution and defend democracy”.
The BEC points out that by its decision of 6 December 2024 annulling the presidential elections, the Constitutional Court “made an implicit and generally binding ruling also on the failure to meet the conditions provided by law for the registration of candidacies submitted by the candidate Călin Georgescu, making it inadmissible that, upon the resumption of the electoral process, the same person be considered to meet the conditions to accede to the position of President of Romania”.
The Electoral Bureau concludes that, given that the constitutional court has decided on these issues, the fulfillment of the other conditions for the registration of the candidacy becomes irrelevant.
George Simion, president of AUR: The rejection of Călin Georgescu’s candidate file is a new abuse and a continuation of the coup d’état on December 6. Down with Ciolacu, down with the dictators.
George Simion reacted in a Facebook post, after the BEC’s decision to reject Călin Georgescu’s candidacy. “The rejection of Călin Georgescu’s candidacy file is a new abuse and a continuation of the coup d’état given on December 6. Down with Ciolacu, down with dictators,” the AUR leader wrote on Facebook.
On the other hand, George Simion said he was shocked Monday morning by the violence at the BEC headquarters, after Sunday night, in a video message on Facebook, he said that “those who committed the coup should be skinned in the public square.” He now says that it was a “metaphor,” a “political expression,” and that it was about being “skinned” of privileges and special pensions. Asked if he would run for AUR, Simion said he was waiting for “Călin Georgescu’s advice and what path he suggests we take.”
POT leader, Ana Maria Gavrilă, reaction on Facebook: “We are in a dictatorship. 10 people to 4 voted against CG’s file at the BEC even though the file was ok.”
The BEC decision is not final.
Procedurally, after the verdict given by the Central Electoral Bureau, there is a period of 24 hours, during which appeals can be officially filed. If they are filed, the Constitutional Court has another 48 hours to come up with a solution. This means that we will find out a verdict, at the latest on Wednesday evening.
The Central Electoral Bureau officially announced that in its meeting on Sunday evening it rejected three of the four candidacies submitted for the presidential elections in May. The BEC announces that the candidacies of Călin Georgescu, Ion Popa and Maria Marcu, all three independents, were rejected. The BEC validated the candidacy of Nicuşor Dan. The BEC officially announces the decisions taken in its meeting on Sunday evening, without details.
“Decision on the rejection of the registration of the independent candidacy of Mr. Popa Ion in the elections for the President of Romania in 2025; Decision on the rejection of the registration of the independent candidacy of Ms. Marcu Maria in the elections for the President of Romania in 2025; Decision on the registration of the independent candidacy of Mr. Dan Nicușor-Daniel and the electoral symbol in the elections for the President of Romania in 2025; Decision on the rejection of the registration of the independent candidacy of Mr. Georgescu Călin in the elections for the President of Romania in 2025”.
“It’s crazy.” Elon Musk’s reaction
Billionaire Elon Musk, who has been supportive of Călin Georgescu since late last year, promptly commented on Sunday on the news that the Central Electoral Bureau is banning his candidacy for the presidency, calling the decision “crazy.”
Elon Musk made the comment by reposting a post by a user who describes himself as Swedish journalist and political commentator Peter Imanuelsen, and who declares himself a supporter of freedom. “BREAKING: Romania has BANNED Călin Georgescu from running for president. He won the first round of the election before it was canceled. Now he is leading in the polls again. So now they have simply banned him from running. By the way, this is happening in an EU country,” he wrote. “It’s crazy,” Elon Musk wrote.
The CCR will have the final say regarding Călin Georgescu’s candidacy
Law 370/2004 on the election of the President of Romania allows a candidate rejected by the Central Electoral Bureau to file an appeal with the Constitutional Court. The law also establishes the deadlines within which the procedure for challenging the decision of the BEC must be carried out.
Article 31, paragraph 1 of Law 370/2004 stipulates that “within 24 hours at the latest from the expiry of the deadline provided for in art. 29 paragraph (2) (…) candidates, political parties, organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities, political alliances, electoral alliances and voters may contest the registration or rejection of the registration of candidacies”.
A final decision, no later than Wednesday
The deadline referred to in the provision is the 48-hour period that the BEC has to rule on the validation or invalidation of a candidacy. Appeals to the BEC decision are made in writing and submitted to the Constitutional Court. Paragraph 2 of Article 31 requires the CCR to rule on appeals within two days of registration at the latest.
“The decisions are final, shall be communicated immediately to the Central Electoral Bureau and shall be published in the Official Gazette of Romania, Part I”, which means that, if the CCR confirms the decision of the Central Electoral Bureau, Călin Georgescu has no other recourse.
The law also provides that, within 24 hours of the expiration of the deadline for resolving appeals, the BEC formalizes the remaining final candidacies by posting them on the Bureau’s website.
These provisions imply that an appeal to the CCR must be filed no later than Monday, at midnight. Subsequently, the CCR has until Wednesday evening to rule on the appeal.
Former Constitutional Court judge Tudorel Toader stated on Antena 3 that the BEC verifies the substantive and formal conditions, and that the annexes to a document are not “something additional”, but are an integral part of the file.
Toader also said that the BEC examines the candidacy by referring to the legal substantive and formal conditions, while the CCR has other powers. “Let’s not mix the BEC’s powers with those of the CCR,” said the former constitutional judge.
Toni Neacşu, a former member of the CSM, stated that the decision to reject Călin Georgescu’s candidacy can be appealed to the Constitutional Court of Romania and only then Călin Georgescu can submit a new candidacy.
However, Tudorel Toader stated, in an intervention on Digi24, that Georgescu would no longer be able to submit a new candidacy file and thus resume the entire candidacy registration procedure.
He said that, by analogy with the principle of “one person, one vote”, a principle of “One candidate, one candidacy” could be applied.
Law 370/2004 does not expressly mention whether it is possible for a person whose candidacy was rejected by the BEC to submit a new candidacy file. It only mentions the possibility of withdrawing the already registered candidacy.
Călin Georgescu, first reaction: “Romania is under tyranny!”
Călin Georgescu reacted with a message in English, posted on the social network X, after the Central Electoral Bureau rejected the registration of his candidacy in the presidential elections.
“A direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide! I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall! This is just the beginning. It’s that simple! Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!“
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