Former Romanian presidential candidate Călin Georgescu has been charged with plotting a violent coup that he planned after failing to secure his place as a leader of the country, Politico reports.
The charges stem from a police operation in December 2024 that resulted in the arrest of 21 person. During the arrests, the rebels were heading to the capital Bucharest, some of whom were armed with knives and firearms. Romanian prosecutors said in a press release that the armed group planned to incite clashes and violence, threatening national security and constitutional order.
The prosecutors did not name Georgescu, but Romanian media have identified the former politician as one of the coup plotters, along with Horațiu Potra.
The statement said that Georgescu and Potra met in December 2024, immediately after the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election.
Georgescu won, but the result was annulled due to signs of Russian influence.
Georgescu, a far-right figure and NATO skeptic, was later barred from running in the May 2025 election.
The court’s decision sparked political chaos, with thousands of people taking to the streets. According to prosecutors, the right-wing politician planned to use the tensions in society to continue inciting unrest and changing the constitutional order.
All participants in the planned coup, who are also members of Potra’s paramilitary group, will stand trial. Potra’s current whereabouts are unknown, but Romanian authorities believe he has fled to Russia.
Romania’s Prosecutor General indicated that Romania is one of Russia’s favorite targets for conducting extensive hybrid operations, including cyberattacks and the spread of disinformation, which was used to disrupt the 2024 elections.
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