Populist frontrunner in Romania’s cancelled election to step back from politics

Prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against Calin Georgescu in February (Andreea Alexandru/AP)

Calin Georgescu, the populist whose bid for Romania’s presidency last year resulted in the annulment of an election in the European Union and Nato member country, has announced he is stepping away from political life.

Mr Georgescu upended Romania’s political landscape last November when he ran as an independent and unexpectedly surged to frontrunner in the first round of the presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister.