Calin Georgescu, whose first-round victory in the 2024 Romanian presidential election was annulled has been in custody on fraud and organized crime allegations since September
Thousands of protesters rallied in Bucharest on Saturday demanding the release of Calin Georgescu, the right-wing Euroskeptic politician whose first-round victory in Romania’s 2024 presidential election was controversially annulled.
Georgescu has been held in pre-trial detention since September 29 on allegations of fraud and involvement in an organized criminal group.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Palace of Parliament, waving Romanian flags and carrying banners reading “Free Georgescu.” Chants included “Calin Georgescu is president” and “Ursula, Romania is not yours,” a jab toward European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following investigations about EU meddling surrounding the annulled election.
Some protesters later marched toward Bucharest’s Central Detention Center, where Georgescu is being held.
🚨🇷🇴14.11.2026 MASSIVE PROTEST IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA! 🇷🇴
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather outside Parliament to demand the release of Călin Georgescu.
Protesters are expected to march toward the Central Detention Facility, where Călin Georgescu has been… pic.twitter.com/zKtM57gHus
— Ionut Ionete (@IonutIonete) November 14, 2026
A total of around 10,000 people joined the demonstration, according to law enforcement estimates cited by Romanian public broadcaster TVR.
🇷🇴 More than 5,000 people took to the streets to protest in Bucharest the capital of Romania, demanding the release of former presidential candidate Georgescu, according to Radio Romania.
He was previously placed under pretrial detention. The decision was made on the pretext of… pic.twitter.com/QeRjKL6KSE
— Military Summary (@MilitarySummary) November 14, 2026
Two men were detained over aggressive behavior toward police officers, but no major clashes were reported.
🚨🇷🇴14.11.2026 MASSIVE PROTEST IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA! 🇷🇴
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather outside Parliament to demand the release of Călin Georgescu.
Protesters are expected to march toward the Central Detention Facility, where Călin Georgescu has been… pic.twitter.com/czEZs27kHk
— Ionut Ionete (@IonutIonete) November 14, 2026
The protest reignited a political dispute dating to Georgescu’s surprise first-round victory in November 2024. Running on a Euroskeptic, anti-NATO platform, he finished first before the Constitutional Court annulled the entire election, citing supposed campaign irregularities and alleged Russian interference. He was subsequently barred from the 2025 rerun.
The interference allegations centered on a suspected TikTok campaign, but subsequent reporting instead linked a major influencer operation to Georgescu’s rival. A US congressional investigation published in February also cited internal TikTok documents that challenged claims of a coordinated Russian campaign backing Georgescu. The report accused Romanian and EU authorities of pressuring platforms into suppressing political speech, including pro-Georgescu content, using the EU’s controversial Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping online law critics say enables Brussels to censor dissent and meddle in national elections.
Georgescu’s current detention stems from a fraud investigation involving businessman Ionel Rusen.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: rt.com
