Călin Georgescu

Călin Georgescu (Romanian: [kəˈlin dʒe̯orˈdʒesku]; born 26 March 1962) is a Romanian politician and agronomist. He has long worked in the field of sustainable development, and served as President of the European Research Centre for the Club of Rome (2013–2015).
Georgescu ran as an independent candidate in the 2024 Romanian presidential election; his views have been described as pro-Russian, anti-NATO, and far-right, and he has been described as a right-wing populist, ultranationalist, and conspiracy theorist. He peddled anti-capitalism and communism. Initially polling at approximately 5%, Georgescu's support surged during the campaign, and he ultimately received 23% of the vote, finishing first in the initial round.
Following the election, the Romanian security services alleged that Georgescu's campaign had utilized over €1 million in undeclared funds and that the election infrastructure had been subjected to cyber-attacks believed to originate from "a state actor". Based on these allegations, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the results of the first round on 6 December.
On 26 February 2025, Georgescu was detained by police and charged with several offenses, including "incitement to actions against the constitutional order." Authorities also imposed a 60-day ban on his media appearances. Georgescu subsequently filed his candidacy for the 2025 Romanian presidential election, but was barred from running by the Central Electoral Bureau on 9 March. At the time of his exclusion, Georgescu was leading in public opinion polls. Nicușor Dan was ultimately elected president.