Romanian Police Detain Pro-Russian Far-Right Ex-Presidential Candidate Georgescu for Questioning, Elon Musk Expresses Support
Romanian police have detained pro-Russian far-right politician and former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu and brought him for questioning by the General Prosecutor's Office. An arrest warrant has been issued against him. The country's Prosecutor General's Office is also conducting large-scale searches in five districts in connection with the case, Digi24 reports.
The searches are taking place in the judges' offices in Sibiu, Mures, Timis, Ilfov and Cluj, in 27 individuals and four offices belonging to legal entities.
Investigators are investigating the financing of Georgescu's election campaign. He declared zero expenses, but the campaign, during which he won the first round, indicates that significant funds were invested in promoting the presidential candidate on TikTok through manipulation of algorithms.
According to Digi24's sources, more charges have been brought against Calin Georgescu. These are the creation or support of an organisation of a fascist, racist or xenophobic nature; propaganda of the cult of persons guilty of committing a crime against peace and humanity, or propaganda of fascist, racist or xenophobic ideology through public propaganda by any means; prohibition of certain rights, initiation or establishment of anti-Semitic organisations, membership or support in any form of such an organisation. These are offences punishable by imprisonment for a term of 6 months to 15 years.
Meanwhile, on social media, Calin Georgescu accused the authorities of ‘seeking to invent evidence to justify the theft of the election and to do everything to block my new presidential candidacy’. In the messages, Georgescu refers to the pages of US President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and US Vice President J.D. Vance.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who recently sent several messages of support to Calin Georgescu, reacted to X. He falsely wrote that the ex-candidate had been arrested, although Georgescu is still being questioned. ‘They just arrested the man who got the most votes in the Romanian presidential election. That's not right,’ Musk wrote.
The way in which Georgescu campaigned in the 2024 presidential election was the basis for the cancellation of the election, an unprecedented decision made by the Constitutional Court on 6 December.
The first round of the repeat presidential election in Romania will be held on 4 May, with the second round, if necessary, on 18 May.
As a reminder, in November 2024, Romania held the first round of voting in the presidential election. A poll conducted the day before pointed to the leadership of the country's left-wing Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the head of the opposition far-right party AUR, Gheorghe Simion. Instead, far-right candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election in Romania. The Supreme Court of Cassation finally rejected Calin Georgescu's appeal, in which he asked to suspend the documents declassified by CSAT, on the basis of which the December presidential election was cancelled.
As reported by The Gaze, a week ago Romania officially denied rumours of US pressure to allow far-right candidate Georgescu to run for president.