2024–2025 Romanian election annulment protests

2024–2025 Romanian election annulment protests
2024–2025 Romanian election annulment protests
Date	December 8, 2024 – May 26, 2025
Location	Romania, mainly in Bucharest
Caused by	Annulment of the 2024 Romanian presidential election following far-right populist Călin Georgescu first-round victory, following reports of alleged Russian interference and electoral irregularities; Disqualification of Georgescu;
Goals	Resumption of the 2024 election from after the first round (failed); Resignation of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu (succeeded);
Methods	Demonstrations;
Status	Government and pro-European victory Georgescu-aligned candidate George Simion wins the first round of the repeat election; Resignation of Prime Minister Ciolacu; Nicușor Dan is elected President of Romania on 18 May and sworn in office on 26 May; George Simion loses the 2025 Romanian presidential election; Georgescu retires from politics;
Parties
Alliance for the Union of Romanians; Party of Young People; Romanian Socialist Party (2003) ; Pro-Georgescu protesters; Anti-government protesters	Government of Romania Constitutional Court of Romania; Central Electoral Bureau; Romanian Police; Pro-European counter-protesters
Lead figures
	Călin Georgescu; George Simion; Claudiu Târziu (before 9 April 2025) ; Anamaria Gavrilă Klaus Iohannis (before 12 February 2025); Ilie Bolojan (after 12 February 2025); Marcel Ciolacu (before 6 May 2025) ; Cătălin Predoiu ; Nicușor Dan ; Hunor Kelemen; Varujan Pambuccian; Crin Antonescu
Number
Tens of thousands
Casualties
Arrested	~15

Protests took place across Romania from December 2024 to May 2025 in response to the Constitutional Court of Romania's December 2024 unprecedented decision to invalidate the 2024 Romanian presidential election on 6 December 2024. The controversy began when far-right populist Călin Georgescu unexpectedly won the election's first round on 24 November, prompting the Constitutional Court to state that Georgescu's campaign involved Russian interference and electoral irregularities. Romanian prosecutors launched criminal investigations against Georgescu for supporting fascist groups and electoral violations, while authorities rescheduled the election for May 2025.

Throughout December 2024 to March 2025, pro-Georgescu and anti-government protests escalated in scale and intensity, with tens of thousands gathering in Bucharest during January and March rallies organised by the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) party. Led by party leader George Simion, protesters demanded the resumption of elections, accused the government of uprooting democratic principles, and called for Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu's resignation.