Calin Georgescu, the far-right frontrunner in Romania’s presidential vote, has been barred from running in May’s election, in an explosive decision that sparked violence on the streets of Bucharest and came despite pressure from Washington to “listen” to voters’ demands.

Călin Georgescu has sparked Romania’s deepest political crisis in decades, uniting Romanian nationalists, senior Trump administration officials and the Kremlin.

Romania's electoral bureau on Sunday rejected far-right hopeful Calin Georgescu's candidacy for the re-run of last year's annulled presidential election, sparking outrage among his supporters in Bucharest.