Romanian far-right populist Calin Georgescu has been disqualified from participating in May’s presidential election rerun by the country’s Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), sparking violent clashes between his supporters and police.

Last year, Romania’s constitutional court annulled the first round of the presidential election held in November, where Georgescu had come in first, following intelligence reports linking Russia to 800 TikTok accounts supporting his campaign.

On Sunday, the BEC rejected his candidacy, stating that he did not meet the legal requirements to run and had breached his duty to uphold democracy.

Georgescu condemned the decision as a “direct blow” to democracy and has 24 hours to file an appeal to the country’s highest court, which must issue a ruling within 72 hours.

In a post on social media, he described the ban as a “direct blow to the heart of democracy worldwide.”

The announcement led to violent protests in Bucharest, with Georgescu’s supporters clashing with riot police. Tear gas was used to disperse the crowds, and several vehicles were overturned, with nearby bars also suffering damage. At least four people were detained.

While most protesters eventually dispersed, several hundred remained in the area, continuing to confront riot police, who brought in reinforcements and attempted to cordon off the scene.

Georgescu has garnered some backing from the Trump administration, with US Vice-President JD Vance accusing Romania of annulling the election results based on what he described as “flimsy suspicions” from Romanian intelligence and pressure from neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, Romania’s Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu accused Elon Musk of “interfering” in Romania’s elections, after the billionaire posted several messages of support for Georgescu.