The disqualification of the far-right frontrunner from Romania's upcoming presidential election rerun will deepen anti-establishment sentiment in the country, heightening the risk of violent protests, bolstering alternative far-right candidates and potentially triggering an institutional crisis that would increase government instability and cast doubt on Bucharest's pro-Western alignment. On March 9, Romania's Central Electoral Bureau disqualified far-right, pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu from running in the country's presidential election rerun in May. The decision follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court in December that invalidated the results of the first round of the presidential election held on Nov. 24, citing procedural irregularities and evidence of a Russian-backed influence campaign in favor of Georgescu after he unexpectedly won the most votes. Ahead of the new presidential election, which is now set to be rerun on May 4 (first round) and May 18 (second round), Georgescu had been leading the polls, with around 40%...
