Romanian prosecutors have charged far-right politician and former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu with plotting to overthrow the government after the annulment of last December’s first round of presidential elections.
The indictment also names Horatiu Potra, a former French legionnaire and militia leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside 20 other suspects.
The case is centred on an alleged plan to launch an armed assault on Bucharest on 8 December, which police say they managed to prevent. According to prosecutors, the group’s actions threatened Romania’s constitutional order and involved foreign intelligence links.
Potra and his associates are accused of instigating the plot, while Georgescu is charged with conspiring with him. Authorities say the two men met at a horse farm in December, shortly after Georgescu’s annulled election victory.
Initially, Georgescu denied the meeting took place, but later admitted it once photographs appeared in the media. He continues to reject claims that the discussion was about an insurrection.
In February, police raids across Romania uncovered a stockpile of weapons, gold, and cash, which investigators allege was intended to finance a violent takeover. Potra is said to have left the country and may seek asylum in Russia.
Georgescu, now 63, had shocked the political establishment by winning the first round of the presidential vote in November 2024. Days before the run-off, however, the Constitutional Court annulled the results, citing evidence of Russian involvement.
Romanian intelligence reported that Georgescu’s social media popularity was artificially boosted by an influence campaign run from abroad.
Prosecutor General Florenta described the annulled vote as “the result of a hybrid war orchestrated by Russia.”
He alleged that cyberattacks on airports and state institutions were combined with a coordinated online disinformation drive.
Investigators say more than 2,000 Facebook pages spread pro-Georgescu content, while TikTok networks of over 20,000 automated accounts amplified his campaign in the final days before the vote.
After Georgescu was disqualified, his ally George Simion, the leader of the far-right AUR party, entered the May rerun election. Simion won the first round but lost the run-off to Nicusor Dan, the liberal pro-EU mayor of Bucharest.
Georgescu has not issued a formal response to the charges, though earlier this month he accused Romanian authorities of ruling through “deceit, intrigue and division.”
President Dan welcomed the prosecutors’ findings, calling them “proof” that Russia carried out “systematic disinformation” and attempted to manipulate the 2024 election.
A trial date for Georgescu has not yet been set, but proceedings could begin in early 2026.
