Romania at the Crossroads: What the May 2025 Elections Mean for Democracy and Human Rights
By Andrea Pantazi / GICJ
Introduction
Romania’s democracy, since joining the EU in 2007, has suffered episodic integrity crises with corruption [1]. The most recent example is the presidential elections of December 2024, when the Presidential election was abruptly annulled by the Constitutional Court, citing foreign interference via social media. In this cancelled election, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu unexpectedly led, sparking annulment for suspected Russian backing via TikTok [2]. The rerun of the elections in May 2025 allowed the Romanian public to ultimately vote between two candidates: hard-right candidate George Simion and pro-EU centrist Nicoşur Dan. Nicoşur Dan’s ultimate victory represents a critical democratic inflection point, signalling both institutional resilience and the persistence of populist threats. This article explores how the back-to-back turbulent electoral cycles reveal Romania’s state of democracy and its implications for human rights.
Delving into the 2024 Campaign
In the 2024 elections, Kremlin-backing candidate Călin Georgescu doubled down on rhetoric about “traditional values” and national sovereignty [2]. These troubling sentiments were spread throughout the country, mostly through the popular app Tiktok, where most of Georgescu’s campaigning took place [3]. In a former Eastern bloc nation which borders Ukraine, this election seemed to bring political tensions to the forefront. However, following the declassification of Romanian internal security documents in December of 2024, it was revealed to the public that “paid influences had boosted Tiktok accounts promoting Georgescu” before the November 2024 elections [3].
This in turn, was discovered by the Romanian Constitutional Court, and resulted in the annulment of the election, the banning of Georgescu as a presidential candidate, and the prompting of a redo of the elections, done in May of 2025 [4].
What differed in the 2025 Election?
In the re-do of the presidential elections in May of 2025, pro-EU Nicoşur Dan ran against another hard-right candidate, George Simion, who echoed much of the same ‘patriotic’ family-values similar to US President Donald Trump. Simion publicly allied with now-banned Călin Georgescu in his campaign, by publicly claiming to appoint him as Prime Minister if elected President himself [5].
Nevertheless, Nicoşur Dan narrowly won against George Simion, with a 64.7% turnout effectively marking a pro‑European rebuke of far-right influence [5]. Nicoşur Dan, a former mathematician and the mayor of the capital Bucharest, now leads Romania into his pro-Western reformist agenda, with much to be done to combat the ongoing human rights issues.
Effects on human rights law
The electoral crisis and its resolution placed Romania’s democratic institutions under an intense spotlight. The Constitutional Court's intervention signalled judicial independence, but also raised difficult questions about external influence and internal safeguards. Marginalised groups remain especially vulnerable. Both far-right campaigns held by Georgescu and Simion emboldened local councils to propose ordinances downplaying anti-Roma discrimination [5]. Women’s rights organisations also reported a spike in misogynistic online content and threats against activists. These trends threaten to normalise hate speech and create a chilling effect on civic engagement [5].
It should be noted that although the May 2025 presidential elections represent a leap forward in Romanian politics, there is still much to be addressed by Nicoşur Dan, who steps into power during a time of many human rights violations still prevalent in Romania. In fact, the Committee on Economic and Social and Cultural Rights stated that Romania must comply with non-discrimination laws, as their treatment of the Roma people, as well as migrants and stateless people, has been questioned by human rights bodies [6]. Moreover, they cite equality between men and women to be an ongoing issue, especially regarding the issue of human trafficking [6]. Furthermore in relation to the elections themselves, corruption is cited as an ongoing issue in Romania as well, in both private and public sectors [5].
Although the election of Nicuşor Dan symbolises Romania’s leaning towards pro-EU sentiments, these issues still stand tall against the new president, and were emphasised through the controversies of these two elections.
Implications for Democracy
Nicoşur Dan’s victory underscored that Romania still values democratic norms, but deep fractures and low trust persist, especially in rural and diaspora communities. [1] George Simion (and Călin Georgescu) resonated with these areas, as an anti-elite, Eurosceptic perspective [7]. This is an indication that liberal democratic values are still fragile in parts of Romanian society. This is further exemplified by the relatively low voter turnout in the election.
Moreover, as the annulment exemplified the Constitutional Court’s role to protect the public, there is still much to do to build institutional and governmental trust within the Romanian people. The Court’s intervention bolstered confidence in the Romanian systems for some, however critics argue it highlighted the institutional fragility at hand [4]. Furthermore, there is still the risk for politicisation [1].
Nevertheless experts have noted that Nicoşur Dan’s victory effectively steadies the region, helping Moldova and Ukraine sustain their Western-trajectory. This may have been threatened by Călin Georgescu, who is now banned from Ukraine due to his anti-Ukrainian public statements [8]. Not only does Dan’s victory support these Russian-threatened regions, it also cements Romania’s position in the EU and provides hope to continue on the positive economic trajectory Romania has followed since its accession in 2007 [7].
Position of Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) acknowledges Romania’s constitutional and democratic institutions’ attempt to prevent foreign interference and safeguard electoral integrity. However, GICJ remains concerned about the rise in hate speech, online disinformation, and discriminatory rhetoric surrounding the 2025 campaign.
GICJ urges the Romanian government to continue strengthening its electoral oversight mechanisms, protect freedom of expression and the press, and ensure the safety and inclusion of minority communities. GICJ also calls on the European Union to offer greater institutional support to civil society and watchdog organisations working to uphold human rights and democratic values in Romania.
Sources
[1]https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/why-romania-just-canceled-its-presidential-election/?
[2]https://apnews.com/article/romania-election-president-recount-georgescu-far-right-34f4284d54ea34a841225e2c3a968c6d
[3]https://balkaninsight.com/2024/12/06/romania-halts-presidential-election-run-off-amid-russia-meddling-claims
[4]https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/02/romania-election-liberal-democracy-elites/comment-page-1/
[5]https://apnews.com/article/romania-president-election-dan-simion-e665b3944752de288a2778c84e535045
[6] https://docs.un.org/en/E/C.12/ROU/CO/6
[7]https://www.ft.com/content/e8e53e68-80b4-4ca4-ada5-4f8907712a0d?m
[8] https://iwpr.net/global-voices/romanias-election-implications?
