Romania’s constitutional court has officially rejected the challenge posed by defeated far-right candidate George Simion regarding the results of Sunday’s presidential election. Simion announced his intention to contest the outcome, alleging foreign interference from France and Moldova, as well as voter fraud, although he failed to provide any evidence to support his claims.
The court's unanimous decision to dismiss the request for annulment paves the way for the inauguration of the election's winner, centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan. Following the ruling, Simion took to social media, denouncing the decision as a “coup” and calling on his supporters to “fight” in the coming days and weeks.
Dan responded to Simion's challenge, stating that it was clear from the beginning that the legal challenge was “completely artificial.”
This election comes after Romania’s previous presidential election in November was annulled by the constitutional court due to concerns over Russian meddling and a TikTok campaign that was said to have favored far-right candidate Călin Georgescu. In response, a do-over election was ordered, culminating in the recent contest between Simion and Dan, which ultimately resulted in Dan’s victory.
