The first round of Romania’s presidential election must be redone, the country’s highest court announces.
This after information that Russia ran campaigns on, among other things, Tiktok to promote Calin Georgescu, who won the first round of elections.
– He must be held accountable by our country’s legal system, which I hope still works, says the Romanian Adriana, marketer.
The information that Russia tried to influence the election has raised strong feelings in Romania. According to the country’s security service, the ultra-nationalist Calin Georgescu received hidden million-dollar support on Tiktok that was never declared as a campaign contribution – which is against the country’s laws.
The court has now decided “to annul the entire election process in the matter of the election of the president in order to ensure the correctness and legality of the election”, the Supreme Court states.
“He is lying to us – must be held accountable”
– You cannot carry out such an extensive campaign without money. I think he is lying to us and to our authorities. He must be held accountable by our country’s legal system, which I hope still works, says Adriana, marketer.
The fact that an EU- and NATO-critical candidate who has also expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin won the first round of elections gives cold feet to friends of Europe in Romania – who have since held daily demonstrations.
– It is true that the system in Romania is corrupt and people are tired of it, says Matei Emanuel, artist.
Today 19:16
“Romania is out in completely uncharted political terrain”
Got huge spread: “Social media can influence a country’s future”
Calin Georgescu came out of nowhere and won the first round of elections by campaigning solely on social media. Alexandra Clapa, who is the editor-in-chief of a news service for young people, Gen Știri, was able to observe how the material about him suddenly gained enormous circulation before the election.
And the fact that Romania’s security service acted only now is surprising.
– I think it will be a little late. Georgescu should have been vetted before the election. This will be a lesson for all of us that social media can influence the future of a country, says Alexandra Clapa, editor-in-chief Gen Știri
The second round of elections, which was scheduled for November 8, is cancelled. And no new date has been announced.