Romanian far-right former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has been charged with attempting to stage a coup after the first round of the presidential election was annulled last December.
Horatiu Potra, a former French legionnaire and militia chief in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 20 others have also been charged. The plot reportedly aimed at staging a raid on the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on December 8, which police intercepted.
Romanian prosecutors described the case as aiming to undermine the country's constitutional order, implicating Georgescu and Potra, and suggesting connections to foreign intelligence.
While Georgescu and Potra were both accused of instigating the coup, Georgescu allegedly conspired with Potra. Initial denials regarding their meeting were refuted when photographs surfaced, although Georgescu maintains that discussions of an insurrection did not occur.
Following police raids in February, a cache of weapons, gold, and cash was uncovered, intended for a violent power takeover, and Potra is believed to be abroad seeking asylum, possibly in Russia.
Georgescu rose to prominence in the November presidential election but faced the annulment of the results this past February amidst serious charges of Russian interference. Romanian intelligence has claimed that Georgian's popularity online was fueled by a foreign-led disinformation campaign—involving thousands of automated accounts on social media platforms.
The prosecutor general labeled the 2024 election fallout as symptomatic of a hybrid war orchestrated by Russia, highlighted by a series of cyberattacks coinciding with a coordinated online disinformation effort.
As the nation prepares for a trial that could initiate in early 2026, the implications of this unfolding scandal suggest a deepening crisis for democracy in Romania and escalating concerns regarding Russian influence in Eastern Europe.
