Romanian elections annulled over foreign interference scandal
The Constitutional Court of Romania has decided to annul the first round of the presidential elections. This decision follows the uncovering of manipulations in the campaign of candidate Calin Georgescu, who was reportedly the beneficiary of an operation conducted from outside Romania.
During its Friday session, the Constitutional Court of Romania decided to annul the results of the first round of the presidential elections. The decision was reported by the Digi24 television network, citing official sources.
This move necessitates starting the entire electoral process anew.
Manipulation in Georgescu's campaign
The annulling of the elections was based on the disclosed service documents indicating manipulative actions that impacted candidate Calin Georgescu's campaign.
Georgescu, who received the most votes in the first round, was found to be the beneficiary of an operation conducted from outside Romania.
The impending end of the current Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis's term, adds extra tension to the early election process. His term will expire on December 21, making the situation even more urgent.
Controversies surrounding the presidential elections in Romania
Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian presidential candidate in Romania, has stirred much controversy both for his views and his campaign, primarily conducted on the TikTok platform. As a result, there have been accusations of violating EU regulations regarding elections.
The matter is being investigated by the European Commission, which has obliged TikTok to retain data related to the elections in Romania and other EU countries until the end of March 2025. This decision was made in response to accusations of the platform supporting Calin Georgescu and attempting foreign interference in the electoral process in Romania. Authorities in Bucharest informed their allies about networks of accounts promoting Georgescu, which became exceptionally active two weeks before the elections.
Cooperation with online platforms
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regner emphasized that the Commission regularly cooperates with online platforms on protecting electoral processes in all EU countries. Guidelines have also been issued for large online platforms to minimize systematic risks associated with electoral processes.
The Commission is monitoring whether TikTok's actions violate the rules of the European Digital Services Act (DSA), which obligates large online platforms to prevent phenomena that could affect the integrity of elections.
