Former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta joined the race for May's presidential election re-run on Wednesday as the hard right worked to ensure they had a candidate in the contest after the ban on pro-Russian Calin Georgescu threw the vote wide open.

Romanian far-right populist Calin Georgescu has appealed the decision to bar him from running in the country’s presidential election rerun.

Calin Georgescu, the far-right frontrunner in Romania’s presidential vote, has been barred from running in May’s election, in an explosive decision that sparked violence on the streets of Bucharest and came despite pressure from Washington to “listen” to voters’ demands.

Romanian far-right presidential contender Calin Georgescu said on Monday he would challenge a decision to bar him from taking part in an election rerun in May, but analysts said his chances of standing were slim amid fears of Russian meddling.

A top Romanian court has rejected an appeal by far-right politician Calin Georgescu to lift a ban on his candidacy in the presidential rerun

Far-right, pro-Russia politician Călin Georgescu responded on Tuesday evening, March 11, after the Constitutional Court (CCR) upheld a decision to ban him from running in the upcoming presidential elections.

Romania's central election authority on Sunday barred far-right pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu from running in May's presidential election re-run, a decision likely to deepen a constitutional crisis in the European Union and NATO member.

Cornelia Borta sees no alternative to far-right politician Calin Georgescu as Romania's next president, despite moves to bar him from standing in the rerun of a presidential election in May. Borta left her young child with relatives in the eastern county of Neamt and travelled to Bucharest to protest outside Romania's top court on Tuesday as it decided whether to uphold the central election authority's decision on Sunday to bar him.

Romanian far-right pro-Russian presidential contender Calin Georgescu will challenge a decision to bar him from taking part in a rerun of the election in May, one of his advisers told Reuters on Monday.