It's a dictatorship'

Populist ban leaves Romanians fearing democratic deficit

- Jon Henley Andrada Lautaru Bucharest

There have been four presidents of Romania since the 1989 revolution that terminated the brutal 20-year rule - and, indeed, the life - of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. Constantin listed them all.

"Iliescu, Constantinescu, Iliescu again," the retired security guard said, counting on his fingers.

"Băsescu, then Iohannis. And for what, exactly? Nothing has changed. Pay and pensions are too low. Food and fuel cost too much. Something's got to give."

Nursing a beer outside a holein-the-wall bar in rural Drăgăneşti, an hour's drive north of Bucharest, Constantin said one man might have been able to change things.

"And now they've banned him," he said. "So they can keep robbing us." His view is not unusual in this village. In November's presidential elections, nearly 600 people here (37.2% of the electorate) voted for Călin Georgescu, an anti-EU, Moscow-friendly, Covid-denying ultranationalist who won the first round.

Since then, the election has been annulled over suspected Russian interference and Georgescu placed under criminal investigation. Last week, Romania's top court upheld a decision barring him from standing in the re-run of the vote in May.

Now even those who did not back Georgescu are disgusted.

"Millions voted for him; he should have been allowed to stand," said Elena Preda, 64, a retired legal officer, outside the minimarket.

"Nothing's proven against him. The injustice makes me weep. We're mourning democracy." Beside his roadside greengrocer's stand, Ionut, 55, was seething.

"This isn't normal," he said. "It's a corrupt, thieving dictatorship.

A smart guy looked like winning, so they cancel the vote. Then they cancel him." Hours after the court confirmed Georgescu's disqualification, saying his violation of electoral rules was "conduct contrary to the Romanian constitution", Romania's prime minister, the Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, posted on his Facebook page.