thousands of demonstrators against the nationalist candidate qualified in the second round

Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu qualified to everyone's surprise in the second round of the presidential election on Sunday.

“Better dead than fascist.” More than 2,000 people gathered on Wednesday, November 27 in Romania in front of the government headquarters, to demonstrate against the qualification for the second round of the presidential election of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu. “For Europe!”, “I want a future in my country!”, “Don’t vote for a dictator!”could we read on signs held up by a mainly young crowd in Victory Square, in the heart of Bucharest.

Demonstrations have taken place every evening since Monday in the capital, in reaction to the first place won in the first round of the election by Calin Georgescu, admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposed to aid to Ukraine. This impeccably dressed 62-year-old anti-vax technocrat was able to convince with a campaign on TikTok that went viral, focused on the need to stop all support for Ukraine.

“We are not here for politics, but for democracy“, Bianca Munteanu, 25, explained to AFP. “I want to study, I want to take advantage of international programs, I want to be free to travel. And I want my parents and grandparents to be safe at home”she added.

Sorin Vlad, 61, lamented the impact of social media. “This is not normal during an election”he said, “hoping for a change of direction” in the second round scheduled for December 8, after the legislative elections on Sunday. The far-right candidate will face Elena Lasconi, 52, the centrist mayor of a small town.