Romania’s electoral commission expelled another far-right candidate from May’s presidential election rerun after banning front-runner Călin Georgescu from the race last year.
The commission on Saturday excluded Diana Șoșoacă, leader of the small, far-right SOS Romania party from the vote.
It noted that the country’s constitutional court had already banned her from standing last November for making declarations “contrary to democratic values”.
Șoșoacă is known for her anti-Semitic views, spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda, and opposing Covid pandemic measures.
In July 2024, she was banned from the European Parliament for loudly interrupting debates.
“I am proof that we do not live in a democracy,” Șoșoacă posted on social media, The Guardian reported. She said she would appeal the ruling.
Her party won 24 seats, approximately 7 percent of the votes, in the parliamentary elections last December.
Romania has been in political turmoil since late last year when presidential elections were annulled after a first round in which a little-known far-right candidate, Călin Georgescu, took first place.
A court ruling ordered the vote to be cancelled and rerun amid accusations of widespread Russian interference.
Earlier this month, Georgescu, was barred from standing in the race again , a move which prompted protests, some of which turned violent.
Meanwhile, George Simion, leader of Romania’s nationalist AUR party, which has been accused of being pro-Russian, was accepted as a presidential candidate in May’s election rerun.
Simion, 38, is under criminal investigation for inciting violence after Georgescu’s ban was announced. As the head of the country’s second-largest political force, he is likely to have considerable influence in the upcoming ballot.
It noted that the country’s constitutional court had already banned her from standing last November for making declarations “contrary to democratic values”.
Șoșoacă is known for her anti-Semitic views, spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda, and opposing Covid pandemic measures.
In July 2024, she was banned from the European Parliament for loudly interrupting debates.
“I am proof that we do not live in a democracy,” Șoșoacă posted on social media, The Guardian reported. She said she would appeal the ruling.
Her party won 24 seats, approximately 7 percent of the votes, in the parliamentary elections last December.
Romania has been in political turmoil since late last year when presidential elections were annulled after a first round in which a little-known far-right candidate, Călin Georgescu, took first place.
A court ruling ordered the vote to be cancelled and rerun amid accusations of widespread Russian interference.
Earlier this month, Georgescu, was barred from standing in the race again , a move which prompted protests, some of which turned violent.
Meanwhile, George Simion, leader of Romania’s nationalist AUR party, which has been accused of being pro-Russian, was accepted as a presidential candidate in May’s election rerun.
Simion, 38, is under criminal investigation for inciting violence after Georgescu’s ban was announced. As the head of the country’s second-largest political force, he is likely to have considerable influence in the upcoming ballot.
Source: The Guardian
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