Bangladesh, May 25 -- Romania is experiencing an intensifying political rift as conservative presidential candidate George Simion calls for peaceful demonstrations in response to what he alleges was a “fraudulent” election outcome. The contentious result, which saw pro-European Union candidate and Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan narrowly defeat Simion in a run-off, has sparked outrage among supporters of the populist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), who claim the democratic process has been hijacked by foreign influence and shadowy non-state actors.

Simion, a vocal critic of the European Union and a staunch advocate for Romanian sovereignty, issued a stark warning in a video address streamed on social media on the ...