Not widely known until a few months ago, the contentious Georgescu has voiced admiration for 1930s Romanian fascists, and after recent questioning by prosecutors gave what appeared to be a Nazi salute. He has criticised Romania’s commitments to the EU and Nato, praised Vladimir Putin — and Donald Trump — and wants to halt Romanian aid to Ukraine.

Romania’s largest far-right party is scrambling to find a candidate after the independent front-runner it supported was barred from May’s presidential election.

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.

Controversial Romanian politician Diana Sosoaca, who was barred by a top court from entering last year’s annulled presidential election, has filed her candidacy in an unlikely bid to enter in the May rerun.

It’s a close question, given the role of Russia and the tender age of the country’s democracy.

By Iulian Ernst in Bucharest The leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, will replace Calin Georgescu as the leading far-right candidate in the May presidential elections,