Romania’s electoral body has rejected the candidacy of controversial far-right politician Diana Sosoaca in the presidential election rerun in May, but approved George Simion, the leader of the country’s most popular far-right party.

Romania’s populist far-right politician George Simion is making his bid for the country’s presidential election rerun in May as he seeks to rally nationalist voters after a controversial frontrunner w

Former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta joined the race for May's presidential election re-run on Wednesday as the hard right worked to ensure they had a candidate in the contest after the ban on pro-Russian Calin Georgescu threw the vote wide open.

Controversial Romanian politician Diana Sosoaca, who was barred by a top court from entering last year’s annulled presidential election, has filed her candidacy in an unlikely bid to enter in the May rerun.

In his appeal to the court, Georgescu — whose original candidacy was allegedly boosted by a Russia-backed TikTok influence operation — insisted that his expulsion from the election do-over could permanently suppress his constitutional right to stand for election.

Romania’s central election authority barred far-right candidate Calin Georgescu from competing in May’s presidential election re-run, not the European Union, contrary to misleading posts online.

It’s a close question, given the role of Russia and the tender age of the country’s democracy.