Romanian court rejects George Simion’s election challenge

Romania’s constitutional court threw out defeated far-right candidate George Simion’s challenge to the result of Sunday’s presidential election.

Simion announced Tuesday he would contest the outcome, claiming foreign interference by France and Moldova and voter fraud had influenced the contest, without providing evidence.

But his request to annul the result was unanimously rejected, the court said on Thursday, paving the way for the inauguration of winner, centrist Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan.

Simion denounced the ruling as a “coup” in a statement on social media and called on his supporters to “fight” in the coming days and weeks.

Dan told local media “it was clear from the beginning to everyone” that Simion’s legal challenge was “completely artificial.”

Romania’s presidential election last November was annulled by the constitutional court after concerns over Russian meddling and a TikTok campaign that the Romanian authorities said boosted far-right candidate Călin Georgescu.

A do-over election was ordered, which saw Simion and Dan face off last Sunday and ultimately resulted in Dan’s victory.