Romania's former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu on trial for far-right propaganda

One of the two lawsuits initiated by prosecutors against former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, regarding his alleged fascist, far-right, racist, and xenophobic propaganda, was cleared by the Bucharest Court in the preliminary procedure, and the public hearings can begin, Digi24 reported. The other lawsuit, regarding his coup d’etat attempt, is still in the preliminary stage – a procedure supposed to check whether the pieces of evidence are compiled and submitted by the prosecutors in line with the basic legal requirements.

Calin Georgescu ranked first in the first round of the presidential elections in November 2024, after a quick, targeted social media campaign allegedly involving bot farms prepared years in advance by entities linked to Russia – as the Supreme Council of National Defence (CNAT) concluded based on evidence provided by the national intelligence services.

After the Constitutional Court (CCR) ruled for a complete rerun of the electoral process, Georgescu was banned from running again in 2025 on grounds of radical rhetoric.

The former candidate Calin Georgescu, is being prosecuted for the crime of "promoting, in public, the cult of persons guilty of committing crimes of genocide against humanity and war crimes, as well as the act of promoting, in public, fascist, legionary, racist or xenophobic ideas, conceptions or doctrines, in a continuous form (5 material acts)".

The investigators note in the indictment that, between June 16, 2020, and May 16, 2025, repeatedly (June 16, 2020, September 2020, October 2, 2021, September 1, 2024, and May 16, 2025), the defendant Calin Georgescu publicly promoted, through various means, fascist, legionary, and xenophobic ideas, concepts and doctrines.

Georgescu is accused of public calls for “the regeneration and rebirth of the nation” through palingenesis - the creation of the new man, under the dome of Orthodox Christian mysticism, including by implicitly accepting the use of violent means; the need for the emergence of a charismatic, predestined, and authoritarian leader, able to put this process into operation.

He is also charged with glorifying Marshal Ion Antonescu, a person who was definitely convicted of war crimes. Georgescu praised Antonescu, presenting him as a national hero and reproducing, through imitation, almost to the point of identity, not only his words, but also his gestures and tone of voice and performing Georgescu also gave the legionary salute during a speech given to a crowd of protesters against the restrictions imposed in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, organized in University Square in Bucharest, on October 2, 2021.