Romanian populist Calin Georgescu announced his retirement from politics after being barred from running in the country’s presidential election rerun this month. 

The decision comes after Georgescu ran for president late last year and emerged victorious in the first round of voting. However, a top Romanian court then annulled the result after allegations emerged of electoral violations and Russian interference. Georgescu was later banned from participating in this month’s contest, which was won by pro-European Union candidate Nicusor Dan. 

“I choose to be a passive observer of public and social life,” the 63-year-old Georgescu said in a video posted online late Monday. “I choose to remain outside any political party structure … I am not affiliated with any political group in any way.” 

Georgescu – who ran as an independent in November – said he made his decision to take a step back following the conclusion of the presidential race, which for him indicated “the sovereignist movement has come to a close.” 

A supporter of presidential candidate Calin Georgescu holds a poster depicting Vice President JD Vance and reading “Thank you J.D. Vance for your support” as he takes part in a rally and march in Bucharest, Romania, on Feb. 22. Thousands of people gathered to collect signatures for Calin Georgescu’s candidacy in the presidential elections to be held in May 2025. (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images)

“Now, as I understand it, the argument was that Russian disinformation had infected the Romanian elections, but I’d ask my European friends to have some perspective. You can believe it’s wrong for Russia to buy social media advertisements to influence your elections. We certainly do. You can condemn it on the world stage even. But if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with,” Vance added. 

Georgescu sparked controversy for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes, according to the Associated Press. He has also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as “a man who loves his country” and has questioned Ukraine’s statehood, but he claims not to be pro-Russian. 

Georgescu has argued the election was “canceled illegally and unconstitutionally,” and after he was barred from the May rerun, he accused the authorities of “inventing evidence to justify the theft” of the elections. 

Calin Georgescu votes while standing next to Presidential candidate George Simion during Romania’s second round of the presidential election, in Mogosoaia, Romania, on May 18. (Reuters/Stoyan Nenov)

Earlier this year, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bucharest in a show of support for Georgescu. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.