Romanian prosecutors have announced six charges against far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, who was picked up by police while in traffic on the morning of February 26 and taken for questioning to the Prosecutor General's Office (PICCJ). 

Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round of the annulled presidential elections in November 2024, following intense online activity allegedly instigated by Russian entities. There are also questions about his campaign financing, after he claimed he spent nothing on his campaign. He plans to run in the rescheduled elections in May and polls indicate him as the frontrunner.

The charges listed by the PIICJ against Georgescu could result in prison sentences from 10 to 20 years if Georgescu is found guilty. They could also lead to Georgescu being banned from running in the May presidential elections.

The six charges against Georgescu all relate to the financing of his presidential campaign and his collaboration with, or support from, extremist illegal organisations that have been tolerated and have flourished in the 35 years since the fall of communism. Lines of investigation include suspected connections between Georgescu’s bodyguard Horatiu Potra and Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group. 

Besides his conspiracist rhetoric, Georgescu has repeatedly praised the Iron Guard — a religious fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael — and Ion Antonescu, who was responsible for facilitating the Holocaust in Romania. 

The allegations include incitement to actions against the constitutional order, the communication and dissemination of false information, and repeated false statements regarding the sources of financing for his electoral campaign and his declarations of assets. Additionally, he is accused of initiating, establishing, joining, or supporting a fascist, racist, or xenophobic organisation, promoting fascist, legionary, racist, or xenophobic ideas and figures already convicted of such offences, as well as initiating, establishing, joining, or supporting an anti-Semitic organisation.

The politician has been placed under judicial control for 60 days while the charges are investigated. 

There are two broad scenarios for the further developments, depending on the quality and timeliness of prosecutors’ work: Georgescu’s political career may end if the prosecutors come up with clear evidence and communicate clearly to public, or Georgescu’s career may get a boost at the cost of democracy in Romania, if the investigations are not completed or fail to support any of the initial allegations.

The investigations

Prosecutors carried out 47 searches targeting 27 individuals and four companies in connection to Georgescu’s alleged illegal activities. 

The first part of the investigations targets Georgescu's bodyguard Horatiu Potra and his collaborators involved in military activities in Africa – some of them reportedly connected with the Russian Wagner Group. 

Prosecutors are investigating Potra, who is not currently in the country, and his collaborators for having organised an extremist organisation “with a fascist, racist or xenophobic character”. The search at Potra’s home revealed significant military equipment and large amounts of money (reportedly €3mn in cash). 

According to prosecutors consulted by G4Media, Potra has direct links to circles of influence in Russia and the Wagner paramilitary organisation. On September 6, 2024, Potra flew on an Emirates plane from Moscow to Dubai. Other images capture Potra in Moscow and at the Russian embassy in Bucharest. 

Another character in Georgescu's entourage is Marin Burcea, a former Foreign Legion fighter nicknamed "the Sniper”. After ending his military career, Burcea associated with figures such as Eugen Sechila, leader of a neo-legionnaire movement in Romania.

According to G4Media sources, Burcea's business partner, Dorina Mihai, has multiple connections with soldiers from the entourage of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. On social networks, Mihai posted laudatory images of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as photos with Chechen soldiers.

Separately, prosecutors are investigating Georgescu’s collaboration with Marian Motocu, already charged with controlling a far-right organisation that aims to propagate far-right ideologies and recruit new members to commit violence against Jews as well as rival politicians and foreigners. 

A conversation between Motocu and Georgescu found by prosecutors in the former’s phone during investigations and leaked to media, dating from September 2024, indicates that the two were planning actions aimed at taking control over state institutions in January 2025, after Georgescu was expected to have won the presidential elections.

The reactions

After his detention, Georgescu’s supporters organised a rally in front of the PICCJ, and media actively supporting him turned the events into another episode of the candidate’s electoral campaign.

Both Georgescu’s wife Cristela Georgescu, reportedly a potential candidate in case Georgescu's candidacy is invalidated, and US billionaire Elon Musk, who has previously expressed support for Georgescu, protested what they called the “abuse” of the Romanian authorities.

"They just arrested the person who won the most votes in the Romanian presidential election. This is wrong," Musk wrote on his X network.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu refused to comment on the developments, but stressed that prosecutors should come up with sound evidence because among those investigated is a potential presidential candidate.

“Only the communication of clear and irreproachably substantiated evidence can determine that this criminal investigation is not hijacked in an electoral manifesto of a certain candidate," Ciolacu told Digi24. 

Georgescu’s potential rivals in the May presidential elections, independent Nicusor Dan and Elena Lasconi of reformist Union Save Romania (USR) also pointed to the need for a thorough investigation that should also explain the controversial annulment of the presidential elections on December 6.

"First of all, I hope that … all the actions that are happening now will clarify the moment of the annulment of the elections, because it is very important for democracy in Romania that people are convinced that it was a fair measure," said Dan shortly after Georgescu was arrested and taken for interrogation.

"On the other hand, I would like us all to be sure that all the procedures required in this case were observed,” he added.

Lasconi said that it is necessary for "prosecutors to come out publicly and clarify what is happening in the case of [Georgescu]."

“Without communication between institutions and citizens, people's anger will only grow … We have a complicated road ahead, but we can walk the right path with calm, professionalism and seriousness," Lasconi also wrote on Facebook.