Tuesday, November 12th saw a Bucharest court hold an initial hearing in the case against a sovereigntist former presidential candidate, charged under Romanian anti-extremism laws.
Călin Georgescu stands accused of endorsing individuals and ideas linked to Romania’s inter-war fascist movement. The initial role of the court is to decide soon whether the case will move forward to a full trial.
Prosecutors allege that for almost five years in the run-up to May 2025, Georgescu repeatedly endorsed fascist ideas in interviews, online posts and public appearances—including praise for Romania’s wartime fascist ruler Marshal Ion Antonescu and Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, founder of the Legion of the Archangel Michael.
Populist Georgescu won the first round of the Romanian presidential elections in November 2024, only to have the constitutional court overrule the result—with European Union support—citing foreign interference.
Leaving the courtroom on Tuesday, Georgescu claimed that
freedom of expression has been taken away from us … It is not only a humiliation directed at me, but a humiliation directed at the Romanian people.
While the election annulment prompted Georgescu to ‘retire’ from politics, his legal difficulties continue to pile up.
