The Constitutional Court of Romania has annulled the first round of the presidential elections, following revelations of declassified intelligence that point to a campaign of Russian interference to favor the far-right candidate Calin Georgescu.
The decision comes two days after President Klaus Iohannis declassified a report from the Supreme Council of National Defense. According to this, Russia would have carried out a coordinated campaign on social networks, using thousands of accounts on platforms such as TikTok and Telegram, to promote the candidacy of Georgescu, who surprisingly emerged as the most voted on November 24, despite not having declared campaign expenses.
Georgescu, an independent with a nationalist and far-right discourse, beat Elena Lasconi, a reformist candidate from the Save Romania Union party, with whom he had to face in a second round this Sunday.
In response to suspicions, a recount of votes and an investigation into the irregular use of social networks in the process was ordered. The authorities confirmed that Georgescu had been favored by a covert presence on TikTok, where he was not identified as an official candidate.
The Court has determined that the irregularities detected compromise the legitimacy of the electoral process and has ordered the first round to be repeated, on a date that must now be established by the Government.
The announcement has generated great expectation in the country, where tensions over alleged foreign interference have revived the debate about democratic integrity in the region.
