'This is Georgescu’s choice,' says hard-right party leader joining Romanian presidential race

Record ID: 1983488

  • Title: 'This is Georgescu’s choice,' says hard-right party leader joining Romanian presidential race
  • Date: 14th March 2025
  • Summary: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (MARCH 14, 2025) (REUTERS) SIMION SPEAKING AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION ALLIANCE FOR UNITING ROMANIANS (AUR), GEORGE SIMION, SAYING: "We are not against the EU. (PEOPLE CLAPPING) We Romanians want to be a part of the EU, but not a part of the EU, crooked, bureaucratic Brussels; but a part of a Europe of nations along
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: CALIN GEORGESCU ELECTION EUROPE EUROPE UNION Romania TRUMP USA
  • Location: BUCHAREST AND FOCSANI, ROMANIA
  • City: BUCHAREST AND FOCSANI, ROMANIA
  • Country: Romania
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002882314032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The leader of the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) party, George Simion, submitted his candidacy on Friday (March 14) for the country's re-run of a presidential election after pro-Russian far-right candidate Calin Georgescu was barred from running.
    With the hard right scrambling before Saturday's (March 15) deadline to replace Georgescu, Simion told reporters at a press conference in Bucharest "this is Mr Georgescu’s choice".
    AUR holds the second-largest number of seats in parliament and Simion came fourth in the first round of the voided presidential election in December.
    Simion is under investigation for inciting violence after Georgescu was barred. He said the investigation had been an attempt to associate him with a violent protest he had not attended.
    He arrived at the central electoral office with former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who supports his candidacy.
    Romania is set to repeat its two-round presidential election on May 4 and 18 after the Constitutional Court voided the initial ballot in December, following accusations of Russian meddling in Georgescu's favour, which have been denied by Moscow and Georgescu.
    Analysts say that if Simion's bid is accepted, he has a good chance of reaching the second round. There he could face Nicusor Dan, the centrist mayor of capital Bucharest, who had been showing as Georgescu's main contender in some of the polls.
    (Production: Janis Laizans, Anna Lubowicka, Carla O'Connor, Elizaveta Gladun)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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