Romania’s Supreme Court Annuls first round of presidential vote won by far-right candidate

Romanian Supreme Court annuls presidential election first round due to Russian online campaign allegations, sparking political chaos.

A Romanian Supreme Court on Friday (December 6, 2024) Annulled the first round of the country's Presidential election, days after allegations emerged that Russia ran a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round. The Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision — which is final — came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence on Wednesday (December 4, 2024) that alleged Russia organised thousands of social media accounts to promote Calin Georgescu, across platforms such as TikTok and Telegram.

Without naming Mr. Georgescu, the court said that one of the 13 candidates in the November 24 first round had improperly received “preferential treatment” on social media, distorting the outcome of the vote. Mr. Georgescu, as did the second-place finisher, reformist Elena Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union Party denounced the verdict as an “officialised coup” and an attack on Democracy.

Despite being an outsider who declared zero campaign spending, Mr. Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner who was to face Ms. Lasconi in a runoff on Sunday (December 1, 2024). Some 951 voting stations had already opened abroad on Friday (Dec. 6) for the runoff for Romania’s large diaspora, but had to be halted.

Mr. Iohannis said he would remain in office until a new Presidential election could be rerun from scratch. On Sunday (Dec. 1), one week after the first round of the Presidential race, Romania held a Parliamentary election, which saw Pro-Western parties win the most votes and gains for far-right nationalists. Mr. Iohannis said that once the new Government is formed, the date of the new Presidential vote will be set.

On Wednesday (Dec. 4), the President released intelligence files from the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunication Service, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In a televised statement on Friday (Dec. 6), Mr. Iohannis said he was “deeply concerned” by the contents of the intelligence reports. “Intelligence reports revealed that a foreign state with interests contrary to Romania’s supported this candidate’s campaign. These are serious issues," he said.

The Constitutional Court in its published decision cited the illegal use of digital technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the use of “undeclared sources of funding.” It said one candidate received “preferential treatment on social media platforms, which resulted in the distortion of voters’ expressed will."

Mr. Georgescu slammed the verdict as putting “democracy is under attack.”