The Romanian Constitutional Court twice rejected the presidential candidacy of far-right MEP Diana Șoșoacă in just a few days. The politician, known for her NoVax position, ended up in the international spotlight after interrupting the plenary session of the European Parliament last July by shouting and brandishing an image of the holy face of Jesus, together with a garbage bag. An official explanation for this decision of the judges has not yet been released, which is causing a storm in Romania. In the meantime, Șoșoacă has lashed out against the court, the European Union, Israel and the United States, who in her opinion are plotting against her.
Who is Diana Șoșoacă
Elected to the European Parliament in June, Șoșoacă is the leader of the SOS Romania party and is known for her extremist positions: she opposes aid to Ukraine, defends closer ties with Russia and had even said that Romania should annex some territories Ukrainians. His xenophobic and anti-Semitic comments are frequent. In July she was forcibly expelled from the Chamber of the European Parliament during the debate on the confidence in Ursula von der Leyen. The congresswoman famous for her No Vax positions interrupted the discussion by shouting and brandishing an image of the holy face of Jesus, a garbage bag and wearing a dog muzzle. His shouts were aimed against the European “dictatorship”, and came during the speech of the leader of the Renew liberals, Valérie Hayer.
The accusations against MEP Șoșoacă
Șoșoacă’s candidacy was contested by two people. One of these, Analia Bellantoni, is a former representative of SOS Romania and accused the MEP of having submitted fraudulent signatures to the Central Electoral Office. After the first rejection by the Constitutional Court on Saturday 5 October, the No Vax politician resubmitted its candidacy on the same day, being the last available day. On the evening of October 6 the judges met again, confirming the decision. Șoșoacă challenged the court’s authority to verify the signatures she submitted, accusing the judges of violating the Romanian Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. It is the first time that a politician’s candidacy has been rejected by the Romanian supreme court.
Storm in Romania after the exclusion of Șoșoacă
The decision sparked harsh criticism in the Romanian political world. The opposition accused the judges of serving the interests of the PSD (Social Democratic Party), the ruling party, suggesting that the removal of Șoșoacă would favor another extremist candidate, George Simion. A tactic aimed at favoring the victory in the presidential elections of Marcel Ciolacu, current prime minister and leader of the PSD. Independent presidential candidate Mircea Geoană condemned the court’s decision, warning of its anti-democratic implications.
Screams in the Chamber brandishing Jesus and a garbage bag, No Vax MP expelled
Disputes have also come from the liberals, who currently govern with the Social Democrats. Prime Minister Ciolacu called on the Constitutional Court to quickly publish its reasoning, which he stressed must be based on “solid legal and constitutional foundations”. He added that the main role of the Constitutional Court is to protect the rights of candidates, “not to act as an obstacle to their participation in elections.”
Șoșoacă’s accusations against the EU, Israel and the United States
Faced with the removal of her candidacy, Șoșoacă reacted vehemently, accusing the European Union, the Jewish people, the Americans and the French of having plotted against her, as well as condemning the Romanian court. In an interview with Political the far-right MEP attacked the Israeli and US intelligence services for having “influenced the court’s decision”. “It’s because I’m leading the presidential elections and I want to achieve independence for Romania,” the Romanian politician said in reference to her exclusion. According to a recent poll, about 13.6 percent would vote for Șoșoacă, placing her in fourth place in the presidential battle.
