Romania’s electoral body has rejected Calin Georgescu’s candidacy in the presidential election rerun, after the far-right populist won the first round of last year’s race before a top court annulled the election.

Romania's central election authority on Sunday barred far-right pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu from running in May's presidential election re-run, a decision likely to deepen a constitutional crisis in the European Union and NATO member.

Far-right Romanian presidential candidate Călin Georgescu has lodged an appeal at the constitutional court after his bid for a May rerun was thrown out on the grounds that he was in breach of democratic rules.