Election campaign starts in Romania, 11 candidates for president
In Romania today the presidential election campaign has officially launched, and 11 candidates will compete for the post of head of state. The campaign is overshadowed by the recent disqualification of candidate Kalin Gjorgescu, who originally was a favorite.
Incumbent President Claus Johannis, who currently has no constitutional right to another mandate, urged citizens to participate in the democratic process and elect a candidate to maintain the country’s stability.
Political analysts expect an uncertain race, as some voters at disqualified Gjorgescu have not yet decided who they will support. The elections are scheduled for May 4, and a possible second round would be held on May 18.
11 candidates will compete for the post, including four independent and seven candidates, supported by parties and coalitions. The elections will be held for the second time, after the country’s constitutional court overturned the first round held in November at the end of last year and ordered the election process to begin again.
In the previous elections, before the second round, scheduled for December 8 last year, there were suspicions that candidate Gjorgeescu, who was placed first, was used with understated funding and massive online campaign, which may be Russia. Moscow has dismissed these accusations. Based on intelligence reports, the Constitutional Court overturned the first round result on December 6 and decided to start the whole process from the beginning.
