Cancellation of Romania’s presidential election overturned – media
An appeals court in Romania has suspended the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the results of the first round of last year’s presidential election, which was won unexpectedly by independent candidate Calin Georgescu, local media outlets reported on Thursday.
Georgescu, a vocal NATO critic and opponent of arming Ukraine, made the headlines in November 2024 after securing 23% of the vote in the first round of the election. The Constitutional Court later invalidated the results, citing “irregularities” in his campaign and intelligence reports alleging Russian interference – which Moscow has denied.
On Thursday, Judge Alexandru Vasile of the Ploiesti Court of Appeal overturned the annulment, according to HotNews. The prosecutor’s office attached to the Ploiesti court has filed an appeal.
Now, if Judge Vasile could go after those who have indicted Georgescu, he might end up back in the race.
It's a corrupt, third-world country that cancels an election after it happens because the wrong guy won.
George Simion, the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians party, welcomed the decision as a “return to democracy” and constitutional order in a post on X. He added, however, that the Central Electoral Bureau – which barred Georgescu from running in May – “ignores it and continues its activity.”
In February, Georgescu was indicted on six criminal charges, including allegedly plotting “anti-constitutional acts” and “promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies.” He has denied all the charges, insisting the criminal case against him is part of a campaign orchestrated by the Romanian “deep state.”
The politician, who is under a 60-day travel ban as part of judicial oversight, will remain under court supervision for another 60 days, according to media reports.
The preliminary findings of an investigation into the ‘irregularities’ found they were likely caused by a consulting firm associated with the pro-Western National Liberal Party running a campaign on behalf of an opponent of Georgescu, which backfired.
Germany’s AfD listed as ‘right-wing extremist’ party by intel agency
The German domestic intelligence service said Friday it has classified the Alternative for Germany party, which placed second in national elections in February, as a “right-wing extremist effort” — making it subject to greater and broader surveillance of its activities.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution cited the “extremist character” of the party, known as AfD, and said it “disregards human dignity” — in particular by taking aim at those who moved to Germany from mostly Muslim countries.
So, if you are suspicious of an alien invasion of Germany, you are an enemy of Germany. How did Germans get that so backward? The government has weaponized the domestic intelligence service against AfD and thereby threatens democracy and enables Islam's complete takeover of the Fatherland. Your granddaughters will be in hijabs, married at 9, and uneducated. Is that what you want? What madness!
The party criticized the move, with deputy chairman Stephan Brandner saying that it “is complete nonsense, has absolutely nothing to do with law and order, and is purely political in the fight of the cartel parties against the AfD.”
The AfD has already been under enhanced surveillance by authorities in some regions, but the announcement by the domestic spy agency means the agency’s officials can use informants and other tools such as audio and video recordings to monitor the party’s activities nationwide.
The office, which has warned of growing extremism in Germany, cited court decisions in two German regions in recent years that detailed party efforts to undermine a free and democratic order.
The party “aims to exclude certain population groups from equal participation in society, to subject them to unconstitutional unequal treatment and thus to assign them a legally devalued status,” the agency, known as BfV, said.
The party had already come under scrutiny from the BfV for its links to extremists and its ties to Russia. Of the 38,800 far-right extremists counted by the agency last year, more than 10,000 are members of the party.
“The ethnic and descent-based understanding of the people prevailing within the party is incompatible with the free democratic basic order,” the intelligence service said, adding that the party’s political positions have underpinned “continuous agitation” against minorities and stirred fear and hostility toward them.
“This is evident in the numerous xenophobic, anti-minority, anti-Islamic, and anti-Muslim statements continually made by leading party officials,” it said.
Nancy Faeser, the interior minister, said in a statement that the classification was “clear and unambiguous” and had resulted from a 1,100-page “comprehensive and neutral audit” that had no political influence.
Under the move, any surveillance of AfD activities must abide by a “principle of proportionality” under German law.
The measure does not amount to a ban of the party, which can only take place through a request by either of parliament’s two chambers or the federal government through the Federal Constitutional Court.
Asked whether the party would appeal the decision, Brandner said the executive board is holding a scheduled meeting next Monday and is expected to discuss it then.
The far-right neo-Legionary movement and Romania's election re-run
Romanians head to the polls on Sunday for a re-run of last November's presidential election, which was annulled following reports of foreign interference. Last year's vote saw the surprise victory of a previously unknown far-right independent candidate, Calin Georgescu. An isolationist and ultra-nationalist, Georgescu has ties to neo-Legionary groups, which have roots in the pre-war Iron Guard fascist movement. FRANCE 24's Maria Gerth-Niculescu reports.
Although Georgescu's candidacy was later struck down by the Constitutional Court, he is being replaced by George Simion, who has vowed to use every means necessary to propel Georgescu to power.
Click on the player above to watch the full report.
This is the other side of the story which associates Georgescu and Simion with neo-Nazis. It paints a frightening picture, which may very well be the article's point.
Naziism or the end of democracy, what will Romanians decide tomorrow?
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Farage’s Reform UK wins seat as main parties brace for losses in local polls
Britain's hard-right Reform UK party, led by anti-immigrant firebrand Nigel Farage, won a parliamentary seat in a northwest England by-election on Friday. The local elections, the first since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office, are expected to deliver a crushing blow to the two main political parties.
Issued on:
Britain’s populist Reform UK party, led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, made early gains in local election results on Friday and looked set to make more gains as the party hopes to become a major player in British politics.
Reform's Sarah Pochin was declared winner of the seat of Runcorn and Helsby in northwest England by six votes after a recount, defeating Labour candidate Karen Shore.
Labour easily won the district in last year's national election, but its lawmaker, Mike Amesbury, was forced to quit after he was convicted of punching a constituent in a drunken rage.
Although Reform's victory was one of the narrowest in British history, Farage said “it’s a very, very big moment indeed” for politics.
Counting began late Thursday in lacklustre local elections with Britain's two main parties bracing for a possible bruising from hard-right candidates as the country's political landscape splinters.
The polls in England are the first since Keir Starmer became Labour prime minister and Kemi Badenoch took over the reins of the struggling opposition Conservatives last year.
The Reform UK party's gains, along with expected wins for the centrist Liberal Democrats and left-wing Greens, appeared to confirm a trend that Britain is entering an era of multi-party politics
Urging people to vote Labour, Starmer said in a message on X Thursday: "The choice is clear."
"Labour councillors, mayors and MPs working together to bring change to Britain. Or chaos and division with parties who have no plan for change."
In her final message, Badenoch sought to drum up support for her Tories, saying: "If you want a great council, don't just hope for it, vote for it."
"British politics appears to be fragmenting," political scientist John Curtice wrote in the Telegraph this week, adding the polls "will likely be the first in which as many as five parties are serious players".
British politics have been dominated by the centre-left Labour party and centre-right Tories since the early 20th century.
But surveys show Britons are increasingly disillusioned with the two establishment parties amid anaemic economic growth, high levels of irregular immigration and flagging public services.
'Fragmentation baked in'
New figures published Thursday showed that the number of migrants who have crossed the English Channel on small boats this year has already reached 11,000 – well up on the numbers in 2024.
Labour won a parliamentary majority in July with just 33.7 percent of the vote, the lowest share for any party winning a general election since World War II.
The Conservatives won just 24 percent of the vote, securing only 121 seats in the 650-seat parliament as the party endured its worst-ever election defeat.
Reform UK picked up five seats, an unprecedented haul for a British hard-right party, while the Liberal Democrats won 61 more MPs than at the previous election and the Greens quadrupled their representation to four.
Those results mean "fragmentation is baked in" to Thursday's votes for councils, mayors and a single parliamentary seat, according to political scientist Rob Ford.
"We will see losses from the Tories and Labour, but not equally," the University of Manchester politics professor told AFP.
A total of 1,641 seats across local authorities are up for grabs – only a fraction of England's 17,000 councillors – as are six mayoral posts and a parliamentary seat in the northwest English area of Runcorn and Helsby.
Squeezed on both sides
Farage's party is the bookmakers' favourite to win the parliamentary by-election.
Labour has faced criticism over welfare cuts and tax rises during a difficult return to power following 14 years in opposition, while Starmer's popularity has tanked in opinion polls.
On Tuesday, Reform UK, which has vowed to "stop the boats", topped a YouGov poll of national voting intentions in Britain with 26 percent, three points ahead of Labour and six up on the Conservatives.
Victory in Runcorn, winning mayoralties like Greater Lincolnshire and gaining hundreds of councillors would help Reform build its grassroots activism before the next general election -- likely in 2029.
Under threat from Reform on the right, the Tories are also being squeezed on the left by the Liberal Democrats, the traditional third party, eyeing gains in the wealthy south.
As Labour edges rightwards it is facing a growing challenge from the Greens on the left.
"For the big parties, it's like the couple who are having to wrestle with the duvet that's too small," said Ford. "Wherever they pull the duvet, they're going to get exposed somewhere."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
