Accusations of Russian interference in the 2024 Romanian presidential election

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Calin Georgescu, the surprise winner of the first and only round of the later annulled 2024 Romanian presidential election. He was alleged to have received support from a Russian electoral interference campaign. Calin Georgescu, discurs Biserica Penticostala Jebel.jpg
Călin Georgescu, the surprise winner of the first and only round of the later annulled 2024 Romanian presidential election. He was alleged to have received support from a Russian electoral interference campaign.

The 2024 Romanian presidential election was marred by allegations of Russian interference, raising concerns over election integrity and the potential geopolitical consequences for NATO and the European Union (EU). Multiple reports from Romanian and international authorities detailed foreign influence efforts, particularly aimed at supporting far-right, pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu through the illicit foreign funding of a TikTok campaign.

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Subsequent investigations by the National Agency for Fiscal Administration in December 2024 determined that the alleged interference originated with Romania's own National Liberal Party as part of an ill-fated attempt to draw votes from its rivals, and not Russia as previously assumed.

Background

Romania's elections took place in a politically charged environment, with public dissatisfaction over corruption and economic issues fueling the rise of nationalist candidates. The elections coincided with increasing Russian efforts to influence political landscapes across Eastern Europe, including recent interference operations in Moldova and Georgia. Romania, a key NATO and EU member, became a strategic target due to its critical location near the Black Sea and its support for Ukraine during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Allegations of interference

Cyber and financial influence

The Romanian Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) released declassified reports alleging cyberattacks by foreign "state actors" in order to influence the election. These included hacking attempts on Romanian institutions, the spread of disinformation, and the amplification of nationalist rhetoric on social media platforms. The reports also indicated a possibly foreign funding of Călin Georgescu's campaign, supporting digital outreach and disinformation campaigns.

Role of social media

TikTok played a pivotal role in Georgescu's campaign, raising concerns about the platform's vulnerability to manipulation. Romanian authorities accused TikTok of allowing the proliferation of fake accounts and foreign-sponsored content promoting Georgescu. The European Commission launched an investigation under the Digital Services Act to assess TikTok's role in enabling election manipulation. Romanian regulators even considered suspending the platform during the election, citing its alleged failure to address disinformation and its impact on public trust.

International reactions

The U.S. Department of State and the EU expressed strong concerns about the allegations. The U.S. emphasized Romania's importance as a NATO ally and its role in upholding democratic values in the region. State Department officials urged full investigations into the CSAT report's findings, underscoring the risks posed by Russian influence. [1] Romanian president Klaus Iohannis convened national security meetings to address these threats, labeling the actions of "state and non-state actors" as significant risks to the country's democratic processes.

In December 2024, the European Commission announced an investigation into TikTok over the allegations. [2]

Annulment

On 2 December, the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously to confirm the first round results and upheld the organisation of the runoff on 8 December between Georgescu and Lasconi; however, the court reversed its decision[ clarification needed ] on 6 December and annulled the election results after President Iohannis allowed the declassification of information in the Supreme Council of National Defence. The Romanian Service of Information also declared that Georgescu said he had a "zero lei electoral campaign budget", but subsequent investigations revealed an undeclared donation of up to €1,000,000 from third parties. This prompted the court to annul the election results. [3]

The annulment was condemned by both Georgescu and Lasconi, with Georgescu describing the court's verdict as a "formalised coup d'etat", [4] and Lasconi calling it "illegal [and] immoral" and stating that it "crushes the very essence of democracy". Fourth-placed George Simion also called the verdict a "coup d'état in full swing" but urged against street protests. Third-placed Marcel Ciolacu called the annulment "the only correct decision". [5] Incumbent president Klaus Iohannis also said the court's decision was legitimate and should be respected. [6] Russian state interference in the election was widely reported, including state-sponsored cyberattacks, and the annulment was described as "an extraordinary step" by The Washington Post . [7] [8] The annulment also forced a halt to advanced voting in 951 overseas polling stations for the diaspora that had opened on 6 December, after approximately 50,000 Romanians had cast ballots. [9] [10]

According to Politico , a subsequent investigation by the National Agency for Fiscal Administration determined that the "National Liberal Party paid for a campaign on TikTok that ended up favoring ... Georgescu" and not Russia as previously presented to the Constitutional Court. [11] The National Liberal Party's efforts were part of an ill-fated attempt to draw votes from the Social Democratic Party. [12]

Related Research Articles

Romania's political framework is a semi-presidential representative republic where the Prime Minister is the head of government while the President, according to the Constitution, has at least in theory a more symbolic role, is responsible for the foreign policy, signs certain decrees, approves laws promulgated by the parliament, and nominates the head of government. Romania has multi-party system with a dominant two-party system, with legislative power vested in the government and the two chambers of the Parliament, more specifically the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature in theory. From 1948 until 1989, the communist rule political structure took place in the framework of a one-party socialist republic governed by the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) as its only legal party.

After the Communist rulership ended and the former Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was executed in the midst of the bloody Romanian Revolution of December 1989, the National Salvation Front (FSN) seized power, led by Ion Iliescu. The FSN transformed itself into a massive political party in short time and overwhelmingly won the general election of May 1990, with Iliescu as president. These first months of 1990 were marked by violent protests and counter-protests, involving most notably the tremendously violent and brutal coal miners of the Jiu Valley which were called by Iliescu himself and the FSN to crush peaceful protesters in the University Square in Bucharest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Liberal Party (Romania)</span> Romanian political party

The National Liberal Party is a Christian democratic and socially conservative political party in Romania. Re-founded in mid January 1990, shortly after the Revolution of 1989 which culminated in the fall of communism in Romania, it claims the legacy of the major political party of the same name, active between 1875 and 1947 in the Kingdom of Romania. Based on this historical legacy, it often presents itself as the first formally constituted political party in the country and the oldest of its kind from the family of European liberal parties as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upset (competition)</span> Unexpected result in competition

An upset occurs in a competition, frequently in electoral politics or sports, when the party popularly expected to win is defeated by an underdog whom the majority expects to lose, defying the conventional wisdom. It is often used in reference to beating the betting odds in sports, or beating the opinion polls in electoral politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu</span> Romanian politician

Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu is a Romanian politician who was Prime Minister of Romania from 29 December 2004 to 22 December 2008. He was also president of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the vice-president of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), two positions he assumed in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klaus Iohannis</span> President of Romania since 2014

Klaus Werner Iohannis is a Romanian politician, physicist, and former physics teacher who has been serving as the sixth president of Romania from 2014. He became the president of the National Liberal Party (PNL) in 2014, after previously serving as the leader of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR) between 2002 and 2013. Prior to entering national politics, he was a physics teacher at the Samuel von Brukenthal National College in his native Sibiu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Romanian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Romania in 2009. They were the sixth presidential elections held in post-1989 Romania. The first round took place on 22 November, with a run-off round between the top two candidates Traian Băsescu and Mircea Geoană on 6 December 2009. Although most exit polls suggested a victory for Geoană in the runoff, the authorities declared Băsescu the narrow winner with 50.33% of the votes. To date, it is the closest presidential election in the political history of Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Romanian presidential election</span> Presidential elections in November 2014

Presidential elections were held in Romania in 2014. They were the seventh presidential elections held in post-1989 Romania. In the first round of the elections on 2 November, the top two of the fourteen candidates qualified in a run-off on 16 November. These candidates were Victor Ponta, former Prime Minister and ex-leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) who won around 40% of the vote in the first round, and Klaus Iohannis, then mayor of Sibiu and leader of the Christian Liberal Alliance (ACL), who won around 30% in the first round respectively. Following large protests on how Ponta's government organized the elections in the diaspora, Klaus Iohannis staged a surprising come-back and won the run-off with 54.5%, or more than a million votes than his contender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Călin Georgescu</span> Romanian politician and agronomist (born 1962)

Călin Georgescu is a Romanian far-right politician, agronomist, and prominent conspiracy theorist, who worked in the field of sustainable development. Georgescu was appointed the executive director of the United Nations (UN) Global Sustainable Index Institute in Geneva and Vaduz for the period 2015–2016. Prior to that, he served as President of the European Research Centre for the Club of Rome (2013–2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Romanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 11 December 2016. They were the first held under a new electoral system adopted in 2015, which saw a return to the proportional electoral system last used in the 2004 elections. The new electoral legislation provides a norm of representation for deputies of 73,000 inhabitants and 168,000 inhabitants for senators, which decreased the number of MPs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maia Sandu</span> President of Moldova since 2020

Maia Sandu is a Moldovan politician who has been president of Moldova since 24 December 2020. She is the founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity and was prime minister of Moldova from 8 June 2019 until 14 November 2019, when her government collapsed after a vote of no-confidence. Sandu was minister of education from 2012 to 2015 and member of the parliament of Moldova from 2014 to 2015, and again in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Moldovan presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Moldova on 20 October 2024, with a runoff held on 3 November. Incumbent president Maia Sandu, who won the first round, and former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was the runner-up, contested the runoff, with Sandu winning a majority of votes and being re-elected for a second and final term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Romanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Romania on 1 December 2024. No party won a majority in the election, which saw the incumbent National Coalition for Romania, led by the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party (PNL), lose their majority in both chambers of parliament alongside significant gains by far-right parties such as the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), S.O.S. Romania, and the Party of Young People (POT). Following the elections, a pro-European grand coalition government was formed between the PSD, the PNL, and the UDMR, with the support of the national minorities. On 23 December, Ciolacu’s second cabinet was inaugurated by a slim margin, with 240 votes out of 465 in favour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 Romanian presidential election</span>

A presidential election was held in Romania on 24 November 2024. A second round was to be held on 8 December 2024, as no candidate achieved an absolute majority in the first round. On 6 December 2024, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the results of the first round of the election, alleging that a Russian influence operation had impacted the vote. This was the ninth presidential election held in post-revolution Romania. The incumbent Klaus Iohannis, first elected in 2014 and then re-elected in 2019, must vacate the office at the end of his term, as the Romanian Constitution allows a president to be re-elected only once.

Events from the year 2024 in Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Moldovan European Union membership referendum</span> Constitutional referendum in Moldova

A nationwide constitutional referendum was held in Moldova on 20 October 2024 on whether the country should amend the Constitution of Moldova to include the Moldovan citizens' wish for European Union membership, in order to make it harder for future governments to shift the country away from its pro-European trajectory. The referendum occurred on the same day as the first round of the 2024 Moldovan presidential election. The proposal was approved and the constitution amended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elena Lasconi</span> Romanian politician (born 1972)

Elena Valerica Lasconi is a Romanian politician and former journalist. She is serving as the mayor of Câmpulung in Argeș County, having been elected in both the 2020 and 2024 elections. On 26 June 2024, she won the internal elections in the Save Romania Union (USR), becoming its president. USR elected her in a landslide as the party's frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Party of Young People</span> Political party in Romania

The Party of Young People is a political party in Romania, founded by MP Anamaria Gavrilă, who had previously left the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR). POT supported the candidacy of independent Călin Georgescu in the 2024 presidential election, even before Georgescu appeared in opinion polls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health Education Nature Sustainability Party</span> Political party in Romania

The Health, Education, Nature, Sustainability Party, commonly known by the abbreviation SENS, is a minor political party in Romania closely associated with progressive independent MEP Nicolae Ștefănuță. Amongst its most well known members are Florina Presadă and Ana Ciceală.

The 2025 presidential election in Romania is expected to be held in April 2025, following the annulment of the results of the 2024 Romanian presidential election.

References

  1. "US warns of security risks amid concerns over Russian interference in Romanian presidential elections". Romania Insider. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  2. Gkritsi, Eliza (17 December 2024). "EU opens investigation into TikTok and the Romanian election". Politico Europe . Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  3. "Ultimă oră. Alegerile prezidențiale din România au fost anulate. Judecătorii Curții Constituționale au anulat rezultatele primului tur: Hotărârea este definitivă şi obligatorie". Pro TV (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  4. Rainsford, Sarah (6 December 2024). "Romanian court annuls result of presidential election first round". BBC Home. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  5. "Romanian court annuls result of presidential election first round". BBC. 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  6. Brezar, Aleksandar (6 December 2024). "Romanian president: Court's annulment of election must be respected". euronews. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  7. "Romania hit by major election influence campaign and Russian cyber-attacks". BBC News. 4 December 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  8. Madalin Necsutu and Anthony Faiola (6 December 2024). "Romanian court annuls presidential vote after Russian interference claims". The Washington Post.
  9. "Romania's top court annuls first round of presidential vote won by far-right candidate". Associated Press. 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  10. Popa, Flaviu (6 December 2024). "Câte voturi au obținut Călin Georgescu și Elena Lasconi în secțiile unde s-a votat, conform lui George Simion". Fanatik.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  11. Goury-Laffont, Victor (21 December 2024). "Report ties Romanian liberals to TikTok campaign that fueled pro-Russia candidate". Politico . Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  12. "Romanian Liberals Under Scrutiny on Russia-Linked Campaign Funds". Bloomberg . 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.

Further reading