Polls opened in Romania on Sunday in a rerun of November's annulled presidential election, which was voided by a top court following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference. The Constitutional Court cancelled the last vote won by NATO critic Calin Georgescu, who has been barred from the rerun, with fellow far-right politician George Simion now looking like the favourite. Follow our liveblog for all the developments.
Romanians are casting ballots Sunday in a critical presidential election redo after last year’s annulled vote plunged the European Union and NATO member country into its worst political crisis in decades.
Eleven candidates are vying for the presidency and a May 18 runoff is expected. Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 9pm (18:00 GMT). Romanians abroad have been able to vote since Friday.
Romania’s political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu led in the first-round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.
Georgescu was barred from the rerun, sparking sometimes violent protests.
He has effectively been replaced by far-right politician George Simion, one of 11 presidential hopefuls vying for the largely ceremonial but influential foreign policy post in Sunday's first round. The latest opinion polls put Simion, leader of the nationalist AUR party, on course to win the rerun first-round vote.
Like many countries in the EU, anti-establishment sentiment is running high in Romania, fueled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Georgescu, who is under investigation and barred from the rerun.
The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances, which have become strained since the canceled election fiasco.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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