"Presidential Candidate Georgescu Arrested": Romania Is About to Explode

Calin Georgescu , the anti-NATO nationalist candidate who led the first round of the 2024 presidential elections in Romania, which were later cancelled and are now scheduled for May, was stopped and questioned by police. According to the Bucharest press, his supporters claim that the measure was taken while Georgescu was on his way to formalize his new candidacy in view of the re-election. Consistent reports from Romanian media indicate that near the prosecutor's office where the leader was stopped, the police erected barriers in an attempt to block marches or other protests announced by some parties. After the news spread, Georgescu's communications group posted a message on X with a question mark, tagging US President Donald Trump, his vice president James David Vance and his advisor Elon Musk: "Where is democracy now?". Earlier this month, in fact, Vance had accused Romania of having annulled the elections last December based on "flimsy suspicions" from intelligence and pressure from other European countries. Georgescu, who has become an influencer on Tiktok and who, according to critics, is sensitive to Russia's interests or even influenced by Moscow, is accused of acts against the "constitutional order" and participation in an "extremist organization".

Consistent reports by Romanian media indicate that near the prosecutor's office where the manager was arrested, the police erected barriers in an attempt to block marches or other protests announced by some parties. After the news spread, Georgescu's communications team posted a message on X with a question mark, tagging US President Donald Trump, his vice president James David Vance and his advisor Elon Musk: "Where is democracy now?". Earlier this month, in fact, Vance had accused Romania of having annulled the elections last December based on "unsubstantiated suspicions" from intelligence and pressure from other European countries. Georgescu, who has become an influencer on Tiktok and who critics say is sensitive to Russia's interests or even influenced by Moscow, is accused of acts against the "constitutional order" and participation in an "extremist organization".