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.

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.

Romanian far-right populist Calin Georgescu has appealed the decision to bar him from running in the country’s presidential election rerun

Romanian far-right presidential contender Calin Georgescu said on Monday he would challenge a decision to bar him from taking part in an election rerun in May, but analysts said his chances of standing were slim amid fears of Russian meddling.

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.

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,

Romania’s central election authority barred far-right candidate Calin Georgescu from competing in May’s presidential election re-run, not the European Union, contrary to misleading posts online.

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.