Romanian Presidential Election, Re-run Scheduled for March Next Year Amid 'Russian Interference' Controversy

The date for the Romanian presidential election rerun has been set for March 23 next year.

According to Romanian media on the 31st (local time), if no candidate receives a majority in the first round of the presidential rerun, the final winner will be decided in a runoff election two weeks later, on April 6.

Supporters of Georgescu waving the Romanian flag on the 30th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

The coalition government, composed of pro-European parties such as the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), has early on decided to nominate Crin Antonescu as their unified candidate.

Antonescu served as the leader of the National Liberal Party from 2009 to 2014. During the impeachment of President Traian B?sescu in 2012, he acted as the interim president in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

Elena Lasconi, leader of the main opposition party, the Save Romania Union (USR), is also expected to run. Independent candidates such as C?lin Georgescu and Bucharest Mayor Nicu?or Dan have also declared their candidacies.

Georgescu and Lasconi advanced to the runoff as first and second place, respectively, in the first round of the presidential election held on November 24.

Georgescu, who is pro-Russian and was relatively unknown, gained recognition through 'TikTok campaigning' and caused an upset by securing first place.

However, during this process, suspicions of Russian interference in the election arose. When a confidential report from the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) supporting these suspicions was made public, the Constitutional Court invalidated the first election and ordered a rerun.