Sawt Falasteen - Romania presidential election re-run under Trump shadow

Thousands in Romania have protested against the vote annulment and subsequent barring of European Union and NATO critic Calin Georgescu, who topped the first round of voting in November before it was annulled.

The moves -- following claims of Russian meddling and a "massive" social media promotion of Georgescu -- have also drawn the ire of senior officials in US President Donald Trump's administration, with Vice President JD Vance and advisor Elon Musk chastising the eastern European country.

Eleven contenders are in the May 4 re-run with the far-right expected to enter a second round on May 18 in a tight battle.

- MAGA influence -

The campaign has been stirred up by "indirect pressure" fuelled by US officials' comments, Sorina Soare, a political scientist at the University of Florence, told AFP.

With the NATO member hosting more than 1,700 US troops, Romania "cannot afford to enter into confrontation with its American ally over economic and security issues", she said.

Vance criticised the vote annulment "based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbours".

"If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with," he said.

Tycoon Musk has also intervened repeatedly on his social network X to criticise the decisions of the Romanian authorities.

Several of the candidates have expressed their admiration for Trump or touted their ties to him.

Soare noted a "zeitgeist very influenced by Washington politics, with an almost complete migration of all candidates to traditional conservative themes".

George Simion, leader of the far-right party AUR who is expected to win the first round, is an avowed Trump fan often wearing a cap with his idol's name or the slogan "Make America Great Again" on it.

After the Brussels critic, 38, came fourth in the November 24 first round, he threw his support behind Georgescu, who has also said he is "ultra pro" Trump.

With Georgescu barred, Simion -- who continues to defend his former rival -- is expected to take up at least part of his votes.

Former Social Democrats prime minister Victor Ponta has also boasted -- holding a red cap in hand -- of being invited to Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in December.

But weakened by controversial statements during the campaign, he seems to have lost ground to two pro-European candidates: Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan and the ruling coalition's candidate Crin Antonescu.

One of these two is expected to reach the second round to face off against Simion, who is currently tipped to lose that round -- though the gap is narrowing, according to polls.

A "very large number of undecided voters" and a large European diaspora seen as favourable to the far-right factor in to make the race tight, according to Soare.

- Society on edge -

While the post is largely ceremonial, the president holds an influential role in foreign policy, and the election in the NATO member bordering war-torn Ukraine is being closely watched abroad.

The vote "is important especially in the context of the cancelled elections. All that tension is still being felt now," Diana Maftei, a 24-year-old accountant, told AFP in the streets of the capital Bucharest.

Her partner Bogdan Badaluta, 27, a digital artist, said he is relieved that Georgescu has been sidelined.

"We're two young people trying to build a future, and you find yourself realising suddenly everything you worked for might be lost," he said, adding the new elections gave them fresh "hope".

Others remain disillusioned in one of Europe's poorest nations burdened with high inflation and with a political class seen as corrupt.

Smaranda Tache, a 68-year-old retiree, said she would not vote on Sunday, saying "whoever wins is pretty much the same".

"They're fighting for themselves. All this masquerade... There is nothing for us," she said.

"It's always the same thing. The country doesn't get better so that you can see some change. Not at all."

T.Samara--SF-PST