BUCHAREST, Romania — On Saturday, Romanian prosecutors executed search warrants at three locations in Bra?ov in connection with an individual suspected of unlawfully financing a campaign aimed at promoting Calin Georgescu’s bid for the presidency. This action followed the Romanian Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision a day earlier to annul the presidential elections where Georgescu, a far-right candidate, took the lead in the first round.
The prosecutors’ inquiries arose from concerns related to voter corruption, money laundering, and cyber fraud, with allegations indicating that the funds involved may be sourced from illicit activities. These operations were initiated after the Constitutional Court released a report claiming that Russia orchestrated a vast campaign using platforms like TikTok and Telegram to bolster Georgescu’s candidacy.
A representative from the prosecutor’s office, who wished to remain unnamed due to the ongoing investigation, indicated that the properties searched were associated with Bogdan Peschir, alleged to be a central figure in an extensive TikTok campaign designed to support Georgescu. Reports suggest that Peschir disbursed approximately $381,000 (about 361,000 euros) to TikTok influencers to enhance visibility for Georgescu’s content, leading intelligence agencies to describe it as an “aggressive promotion campaign” aimed at boosting the candidate’s public profile.
The current charges against Peschir involve money laundering related to the financial backing of Georgescu’s campaign. He is expected to be brought to Bucharest for further interrogation. Despite the charges, there is no established link between Peschir and claims of Russian interference, which Russia officially denies.
The Constitutional Court highlighted in its decision the improper use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the reliance on “undeclared sources of funding” as reasons for the annulment. The court pointed out that one of the candidates in the first round—though not naming Georgescu—received biased advantages on social media that distorted electoral results.
Georgescu has criticized the court’s ruling, describing it as an “officialized coup” that undermines democracy in Romania. Even though he positioned himself as an outsider alleging no campaign expenses, Georgescu surprisingly emerged as the leading candidate in the first round held on November 24. He was set to compete against reformist candidate Elena Lasconi from the Save Romania Union in a runoff scheduled for Sunday.
The presidential election initially featured thirteen candidates and has recently faced numerous controversies. A new schedule will be established for a fresh voting process to commence from the beginning.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis expressed serious concern regarding the intelligence reports, which suggested that one candidate’s campaign received unlawful outside support that raises national security issues. “Despite declaring no campaign funding, this candidate ran a meticulously orchestrated campaign,” he remarked, noting that the reports indicated foreign intervention contrary to Romania’s interests.
Lasconi strongly criticized the court’s ruling, labeling it “illegal, immoral, and a direct attack on the foundations of democracy” while insisting that the second round of elections should continue as planned.
Following Georgescu’s unexpected ascent in the polls, observers questioned how prior local surveys had indicated he would likely fall behind at least five other candidates. Many attributed his rise to his strong presence on TikTok, which boasts 6 million likes and over 541,000 followers. However, some analysts suggested his online popularity might have been artificially inflated, especially since Romania’s top security body reported favoritism by TikTok towards him compared to rivals.
In a separate matter on Saturday, prosecutors also targeted nine other locations across six counties as part of an investigation into extremist groups allegedly promoting violence or hatred based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, or political affiliations in connection with the elections. These inquiries aim to examine messages that may incite violence against a presidential candidate or supporters while also exploring the propagation of fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies.