The Constitutional Court of Romania has annulled the recent presidential elections due to documented Russian interference that reportedly aided the pro-Russian candidate, Calin Georgescu. This ruling comes in the wake of allegations that the TikTok platform failed to disclose the electoral intent behind political content supporting Georgescu.
The run-off election, scheduled for December 8 between Georgescu and liberal opposition leader Elena Lasconi, will be postponed as the electoral process must restart entirely. In the first round, Georgescu unexpectedly secured 22.9% of the votes, surpassing both the incumbent prime minister from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL).
As an independent candidate aligned with far-right views, Georgescu conducted a campaign promoting Russia while opposing NATO. Reports from the G4Media website indicate that the annulment was based on evidence of Russian interference, including manipulation of results and the emergence of a coordinated user network on TikTok in the weeks leading to the vote. Additionally, approximately 1 million euros in campaign funding, sourced from a single individual, raised suspicions.
TikTok is now under scrutiny for potentially violating European digital services regulations (DSA). Accusations of high treason and collusion with the Kremlin are speculated against Georgescu. Lasconi criticized the Court's ruling, stating it undermines democracy, while George Simino of the far-right party described it as a coup d'état.
This unprecedented decision poses significant challenges to Romania's democratic credibility, mainly as it has been part of the European Union since 2007. The situation raises concerns about electoral integrity and the influence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in former Soviet states, paralleling recent incidents in Moldova.
