BUCHAREST, Romania — On Friday, a leading Romanian court made the significant decision to annul the initial round of the presidential election. This ruling followed the release of declassified intelligence that suggested Russia orchestrated a widespread online initiative aimed at promoting the far-right candidate who emerged victorious in the first round.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling is unprecedented and carries finality, as it arose from intelligence disclosed by President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday. The allegations indicate that Russia engaged in an extensive online campaign involving thousands of social media accounts specifically to support Calin Georgescu, utilizing platforms such as TikTok and Telegram to amplify his visibility.
Despite being an underdog who reported no campaign expenditures, Georgescu became the leading candidate on November 24. He was scheduled to compete against reformist candidate Elena Lasconi from the Save Romania Union party in a runoff election slated for Sunday.
