Tens of thousands of Romanians demonstrated in Bucharest on Sunday to call for the resumption of the presidential election that the country’s supreme court cancelled just last week. Protesters also demanded the resignation of outgoing President Klaus Iohannis, whose term expired on December 21.
The Romanian court cancelled the December 6 presidential election two days before the scheduled runoff. The cancellation was based on a suggestion that Calin Georgescu, a frontrunner and also a NATO critic had enjoyed an unfair social media campaign allegedly orchestrated by Russia, which Moscow denied. The court then ordered the entire election to be rerun, but there are no official dates set for the elections. Heads of Romanian parties have agreed on May 4 and 18.
The protest was organized by the opposition hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians. The tens of thousands marching through the capital brandished flags and shouted slogans, including “Freedom” and “Bring back the second round.” People protested, showing their discontent at the fact that the election had been cancelled. It is a protest, in which mainly people felt that their right to vote was infringed.
AUR leader George Simion underlined the demand for a return to democracy by restoring the election process. Some protesters carried portraits of Georgescu, while others were concerned that undemocratic processes might take place in Romania.
Questions in regard to the future of Georgescu’s candidacy still await answers while tensions escalate. Georgescu has also expressed himself against Romania’s stand on supporting Ukraine during the Russian invasion. Others are demanding transparency with regards to the reasons why the court cancelled the election as basis for its decision.
