Romania: Political Developments and Data in 2024

Abstract In 2024, Romania organized elections at all levels. Those for the Romanian and European Parliaments saw increased support for anti-system, Euroskeptic, and sovereigntist parties, which together won over one-third of the vote. The Constitutional Court's annulment of the first round of presidential elections in December allowed for new presidential elections in early 2025. The unprecedented annulment was motivated by the alleged interference of unspecified foreign powers to promote Călin Georgescu, a virtually unknown independent candidate who won a plurality of votes in the first round with support from social media outlets like Tik Tok. The Court's decision was controversial because it was announced after the votes were counted, was not fully backed by evidence, and came from justices appointed by the very parties Georgescu took a stand against. The annulment became a veritable scandal both within and outside Romania.