BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) 鈥� Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation on Wednesday against a far-right populist who won the first round in a canceled presidential election last year, accusing him of election campaign funding abuses, supporting fascist groups and other offenses.
Police stopped Calin Georgescu in traffic in the capital Bucharest and detained him for questioning Wednesday. Prosecutors then said they opened criminal proceedings against him for alleged offenses including 鈥渋ncitement to actions against the constitutional order, spreading false information, and false declarations鈥� regarding electoral campaign financing and asset disclosures.
The Constitutional Court made the two days ahead of the Dec. 8 runoff after Georgescu鈥檚 . He had polled in single digits and declared zero campaign spending.
Allegations of Russian interference and electoral violations quickly emerged.
Prosecutors also said Georgescu is accused of 鈥渇ounding or supporting fascist, racist, xenophobic, or anti-Semitic organizations, as well as publicly promoting war criminals and extremist ideologies.鈥�
Georgescu, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, said on Facebook that authorities 鈥渁re looking to invent evidence to justify the theft of the elections and to do anything to block my new candidacy for the presidency.鈥� He called on supporters to attend a protest on Saturday in Bucharest.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the prosecutor鈥檚 office, waving Romania鈥檚 flag and chanting: 鈥淔ree Georgescu!鈥� and 鈥淧resident Georgescu!鈥�
Romania鈥檚 Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on X: 鈥淭he judiciary is independent & the law must be applied regardless of persons.鈥�
Thousands of of Bucharest on Saturday to support Georgescu, who has argued the election was 鈥渃anceled illegally and unconstitutionally.鈥�
The first round of the rerun of the election is scheduled for May 4. If no candidate gets more than 50% of ballots, a runoff will follow on May 18.
It wasn鈥檛 clear whether Georgescu will be able to participate in the vote.
His questioning came as police conducted 47 searches in five counties across Romania, reportedly linked to some of Georgescu鈥檚 associates. Prosecutors said the allegations against them included 鈥渇alse statements regarding the sources of financing鈥� of an electoral campaign, illegal possession of weapons and initiating or establishing an organization 鈥渨ith a fascist, racist or xenophobic鈥� character.
Georgescu has sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes. He has also been criticized for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as 鈥渁 man who loves his country鈥� and calling Ukraine 鈥渁n invented state.鈥�
The current Trump administration has criticized Romania for canceling last year's presidential election, with Vice President JD Vance alleging that the court's ruling was based on 鈥渇limsy suspicions鈥� and 鈥渆normous pressure鈥� from Romania鈥檚 neighbors.
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McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania.
Stephen Mcgrath And Andreea Alexandru, The Associated Press
