Romanian Court Overturns Presidential Election Annulment, Causing Legal Uncertainty

Romania's political scene has plunged into legal chaos after the Ploiești Court of Appeal provisionally suspended and then annulled the Constitutional Court's decision that had invalidated the results of the first round of the 2024 presidential election, which was initially won by nationalist candidate Calin Georgescu. The Constitutional Court had originally voided the vote, citing evidence of foreign interference and procedural irregularities, leading to plans for a rerun of the election. The Ploiești court's ruling, however, is widely criticized by legal experts as inadmissible, since Romanian law states that Constitutional Court decisions are final and cannot be challenged by lower courts. Both the Constitutional Court and the prosecutor’s office have appealed the Ploiești decision to Romania’s High Court, while the Central Electoral Bureau insists the annulment remains in effect and the upcoming election rerun will proceed as scheduled. The dispute has fueled accusations from far-right and nationalist parties of an establishment coup and democratic suppression, intensifying political divisions. Ultimately, the final outcome hinges on the forthcoming decision from Romania's top judicial authority.