The Romanian Constitutional Court announced this Friday, December 6, the cancellation of the presidential election, the second round of which was scheduled for Sunday between Calin Georgescu, pro-Russian surprise in the election, and the centrist Elena Lasconi.
The Romanian Constitutional Court announced in a press release on Friday December 6 the cancellation of the presidential election, the second round of which was scheduled for Sunday. And this, “in order to guarantee the accuracy and legality of the electoral process”, while suspicions of interference by Russia are raised.
According to information relayed by Antena 1, the country's first TV channel, this unprecedented decision was taken on the basis of documents declassified Thursday by the country's Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) which target Calin Georgescu, the nationalist and pro- Putin came first in the first round on November 24.
The court “cancels the entire process to elect the Romanian president” and requests that “the entire electoral process” begins again, we can read in the press release from the constitutional authority.
The government must now set a new electoral calendar. The term of the current president, Klaus Iohannis, will end on December 21. After this date, the position will be assumed by the President of the Senate according to the Constitution.
Tiktok in the viewfinder
In the files declassified this week by the CSAT, documents detail alleged destabilization maneuvers, which are reminiscent of techniques used by Russia. Through its diplomatic spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, Moscow denied any involvement this Thursday.
Implicated: the social network Tiktok, on which the far-right candidate did most of his promotion, in particular thanks to the support of local influencers and the support of false accounts, he told AFP ” have no evidence that a coordinated campaign has taken place on the platform to date.”
A fan of conspiracy theories and admirer of Donald Trump, Calin Georgescu benefited from an “aggressive promotional campaign on social networks, in violation of electoral law”, according to the authorities.
The secret services identified “25,000 Tiktok accounts” directly associated with the candidate's campaign and which had become “extremely active two weeks before the election date”, according to these documents.
Romania has also detected more than 85,000 cyberattacks, “including on election day”, launched from around thirty countries and “exploiting the vulnerabilities of electoral computer systems” to destabilize the process. Two investigations have been opened into electoral crimes and money laundering, notably by the anti-corruption prosecutor's office.
The two candidates in the running denounce the decision
In the second round, Calin Georgescu, who received 23% of the votes at the end of November, was to face Elena Lasconi, the leader of the centrists (19%), who finished by a narrow head in front of the outgoing pro-European Prime Minister, Marcel ciolacu.
She “strongly condemned” the “illegal decision” of a “Romanian state flouting democracy” and “leading the country to anarchy”, believing in a video that “the vote should have taken place”. This self-proclaimed “anti-system” candidate was rising in the polls.
The leader of the main far-right AUR party, George Simion, for his part denounced a “politically motivated” decision, “annulling the will of the Romanian people” while calling on his supporters for calm, because “the system must fall democratically” .
Conversely, Marcel Ciolacu praised on Facebook the “only good solution” to this situation. On Monday, the Constitutional Court validated the results of the first round after a recount.
