Romania’s electoral body has rejected the candidacy of controversial far-right politician Diana Sosoaca in the presidential election rerun in May, but approved George Simion, the leader of the country’s most popular far-right party.

Romania's populist far-right politician George Simion made his bid Friday for the country's presidential election rerun in May as he seeks to rally nationalist voters after a controversial frontrunner in last year's annulled race was barred from entering the upcoming redo.

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

Romania's populist far-right politician George Simion is making his bid for the country’s presidential election rerun in May as he seeks to rally nationalist voters after a controversial frontrunner was barred from the race last year.

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.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Controversial Romanian politician Diana Sosoaca, who was barred by a top court from entering last year’s annulled presidential election, filed her candidacy on Thursday in an unlikely bid to enter the May rerun.

Protests erupted in downtown Bucharest following the Central Electoral Bureau's decision to ban Russian-backed far-right politician Calin Georgescu from running in the upcoming re-run presidential elections.

Romania's far right has four days to find a replacement presidential candidate for pro-Russian Calin Georgescu, who is unlikely to succeed on Tuesday in his attempt to overturn a ban on his standing in an election rerun in May.

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,