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The Inquiry

What will happen now with Romania’s elections?

The Inquiry

BBC

News Commentary, News

4.61.7K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In November, a far right, pro-Russia figure came from almost nowhere to become favourite for the presidency. Calin Georgescu, with no affiliated political party and whose campaign had been largely on social media, won the first round of Presidential elections in Romania. The result sent shockwaves across the continent. But serious allegations surfaced over the legitimacy of Georgescu’s campaign, resulting in Romania’s Constitutional Court annulling the vote and barring Georgescu from standing. After mass demonstrations across the country, it’s clear Romania’s political landscape has been upended. Ahead of the rerun of the vote for president on 4 and 18 May, what will happen now with Romania’s elections? Will the country lean towards a more nationalist future or back the mainstream parties that were previously in power?

Contributors: Veronica Anghel, assistant professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at The European University Institute, Italy Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the GlobalFocus Center, associated expert at Carnegie Europe and associate researcher for the European Council on Foreign Relations, Romania Dr Radu Cinpoes, associate professor of politics and international relations at the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom Costin Ciobanu, political scientist with Aarhus University, Denmark

Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Vicky Carter Researcher: Katie Morgan Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey Technical producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Tara McDermott

Transcript

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0:00.0

He tells her that she will be sent to France as a secret agent, and if she's got, she's

0:07.9

going to be shot.

0:09.2

I'm Helen Obalam Carter, and this is history's secret heroes, where I shine a light on

0:14.9

extraordinary stories from World War II.

0:17.6

What they wanted was someone to get themselves arrested and sent to Auschwitz.

0:22.0

Tales of deception, an incredible acts of resistance and courage.

0:26.2

She was a born soldier.

0:27.4

She's a freedom fighter in its widest sense.

0:29.8

The brand new series of History's secret heroes.

0:32.7

Listen first on BBC Sounds.

0:34.6

Welcome to The Inquiry with me, Tanya Beckett, on the BBC World Service.

0:40.0

One question, four expert witnesses and an answer.

0:46.8

It was the shock election result that plunged Europe's sixth most populist member state into chaos

0:53.1

and sent ripples across the continent.

0:58.0

On the 24th of November last year, the first round of presidential elections in Romania

1:03.2

returned as winner, a runner who had only weeks before, polled at less than 10% of the vote.

1:13.4

Kaleen Georgescu, a far-right independent candidate, had campaigned on a NATO-sceptic anti-EU

1:20.3

platform and now looked well positioned to win the runoff ballot to become Romania's next

1:26.2

president.

1:32.2

Until that is, there came another astonishing turn of events.

1:37.1

Serious allegations emerged over the legitimacy of Georgescu's campaign.

1:42.2

The constitutional court annulled the vote and barred him from standing again.

...

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