Outrage Erupts in Romania on Constitution Day Over Nullified Presidential Elections

Bucharest, Dec 8 (NationPress) Tensions escalated on Romania's Constitution Day as political leaders and citizens expressed their anger regarding the extraordinary cancellation of the 2024 presidential elections.

The Central Electoral Bureau announced on Saturday that its operations would come to a halt on December 13, following the ruling by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) to invalidate the results of the first round of the elections.

Calin Georgescu, an independent presidential candidate, gathered with his supporters on Sunday at a polling station in Mogosoaia, articulating his worries about the current state of democracy in Romania.

"Today is Constitution Day, yet there is nothing constitutional left in Romania," stated Georgescu. He underscored the necessity of democracy and pledged to persist in peaceful advocacy for citizens' rights.

On the same day, the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), a right-wing political faction, started a petition advocating for free elections, intending to present it to international entities such as the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe.

George Simion, the president of AUR, also revealed the party's plan to file a complaint with Romania's supreme court, denouncing the cancellation of elections as a violation of democratic standards, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

Elena Lasconi, the presidential candidate from the Save Romania Union, lambasted the CCR's decision as "illegal and immoral" and committed to continue her political pursuits. "If CCR annuls the elections ten times, I will run an eleventh," she proclaimed.

CCR President Marian Enache defended the ruling, using Constitution Day to advocate for adherence to democratic principles and combat disinformation.

"We are witnessing forces that jeopardize the fundamental values of democracy," Enache remarked, reaffirming the court's dedication to the rule of law and citizens' rights.

In response to the backlash, Enache emphasized the importance of trust in the Constitution and alignment with European values, cautioning against the hazards posed by misinformation and the unchecked influence of artificial intelligence on public decision-making.

The cancellation has intensified distrust in public institutions and deepened political rifts. Observers note that the controversy highlights the urgent need for robust mechanisms to ensure electoral integrity and bolster public confidence in democratic processes.

The dominance of critical electoral institutions by the National Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party has raised alarms regarding potential bias and manipulation, which could undermine the credibility of the 2024 elections, according to Claudia Badulescu, a research fellow at the Institute of European Studies of the Free University of Brussels.

Badulescu indicated in a report that the cancellation prompts significant concerns about the country's political stability and adherence to democratic values, carrying both domestic and international repercussions for governance and public trust.