This Saturday, December 7, prosecutors and police investigators in Romania are carrying out searches the day after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election amid suspicions of Russian interference in favor of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu.
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“ Three houses in the city of Brasov (center of the country) »are subject to searches« in the case linked to crimes of voter corruption, money laundering and computer falsification “, Romanian prosecutors handling the case said in a statement. They also suspect violations of the law regarding the banning of organizations and symbols of a fascist, racist and xenophobic nature. The operation targets in particular a person “ possibly involved in the illegal financing of the electoral campaign of a presidential candidate », Specifies the prosecution, without mentioning the nationalist candidate Calin Georgescu by name.
The investigation was opened earlier this week after the declassification of intelligence documents supporting accusations about the role of TikTok in the countryside, with Russia in the viewfinder. These reports had mentioned a TikTok account, whose user, Bogdan Peshir, made payments of $381,000 (361,000 euros) between October 24 and November 24 to Internet users helping to promote the candidate.
Cyberattacks
There Romania had – moreover – detected more than 85,000 cyberattacks, “ including election day », launched from around thirty countries and “ exploiting vulnerabilities in election computer systems » to destabilize the process.
In the wake of these revelations, the Constitutional Court announced, on Friday December 6, “ cancel all » of the ballot in order to “ ensure its validity and legality » and asks that “ the entire electoral process » begins again, plunging this Eastern European country into an unprecedented situation. She invoked “ multiple irregularities and violations of the electoral law having distorted the nature of citizens’ votes and the equality of opportunities of candidates, thus affecting the transparency and fairness of the campaign, in contempt of the principles of democratic elections “.
“ Illegal decision »
Out of nowhere, Calin Georgescuwho came first in the first round on November 24 to everyone’s surprise, quickly denounced a form of ” coup d’état » after the announcement of the cancellation of the elections. Very critical of the European Union andNATOthis 62-year-old former senior official once again declared himself in the media in favor of a total cessation of military aid to neighboring Ukraine. He was due to face pro-European centrist Elena Lasconi on Sunday, also self-proclaimed “ anti-system » and who was rising in the polls, garnering support. She estimated in a video that “ the vote should have taken place » and condemned a “ illegal decision » of a “ Romanian state flouting democracy ” And “ leading the country to anarchy “.
Pro-European President Klaus Iohannis, conversely, welcomed the Court’s decision in the face of accusations “ very serious “. He currently remains in office until the election of his successor on a date which will be set by the future government resulting from the recent legislative elections. Reaffirming their “ trust in institutions » Romanians, the United States called for the holding of “ a peaceful democratic process » and encouraged all parties to “ maintain constitutional order “.
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