Potra recently alluded to a controversial ruling made by Romania’s Central Election Bureau on Sunday. The decision resulted in the disqualification of Georgescu from participating in the upcoming Presidential election in May.

The Electoral Bureau contended that Georgescu breached electoral regulations in Romania. This accusation came after Georgescu surprisingly clinched a victory in the initial round of the Presidential vote last November. His triumph was largely attributed to a highly successful TikTok campaign. However, the Constitutional Court subsequently nullified his win, citing undisclosed campaign finances and fraudulent use of digital technologies. Suspicions of a potential Russian interference influencing the outcome were also raised.

Georgescu did not accept the verdict passively and has since appealed against the Bureau’s decision.

The disqualification announcement on Sunday was met with resistance from Georgescu’s supporters. Incidents of violence involving these supporters and riot police were reported in central Bucharest. The supporters resorted to hurling rocks, firecrackers, and bottles at the law enforcement officers, causing some injuries. The police retaliated by deploying tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Prominent figures, including tech mogul Elon Musk and several allies of former US President Donald Trump, have criticized Georgescu’s prohibition, labeling it as undemocratic and irrational.

Potra, a significant personality in Romania’s local political scene and ex-head of a mercenary group that was active in Africa, was apprehended in December on charges of weapon possession and public incitement. This arrest came following allegations of Potra orchestrating a plot akin to the January 6 incident in the US, after the initial Presidential election was invalidated.