Description: Romania’s former Prime Minister Victor Ponta has submitted his bid for participating in the presidential elections set to be held in May. The country is on a path to reprise its two – round presidential elections in May after controversial Calin Georgescu has been barred over Russian interference and other criminal charges. The far – right ultranationalists would most likely be represented by George Simion who has shown his unwavering support for Georgescu. Simion would be supported by Anamaria Gavrila, the leader of the Young People Party who has stated they both planned on submitting their bids in order to secure at least one spot in the election. The likely candidate to oppose the ultra-nationalists at the moment is Budapest’s mayor, Nicusor Dan. The Romanian President has a semi – executive role and is key in deciding on key issues such as military, defense spending, something Europe prioritizes presently.
Impact: Georgescu’s ban has stimulated the emergence of new political players on Romania’s electoral landscape, which only ads towards the country’s political uncertainty. The country was thrown into a rapidly evolving political crisis with Georgescu’s ban from the elections as now candidates would steer towards internal stabilization as they tackle issues that put Romania on the crossroads between European, US and Russian influence. In a period of time where Europe is facing existential threats such as the dissolution of transatlantic relations with the US, the war in Ukraine and its repositioning on the global geopolitical stage, any further instability in countries within the bloc such as Romania could stem a protracted political crisis.