Romania voids Russia-linked presidential ballot

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Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR) annulled the country’s presidential election on Friday, 6 December after the emergence of evidence of Russian interference in the lead-up to the first-round vote.

Pro-Russian ultranationalist candidate and political newcomer Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round of voting on 24 November, allegedly bolstered by a Kremlin-linked TikTok social media campaign. Pro-EU, centre-right Elena Lasconi narrowly beat Social Democrat Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolescu to secure second place and was set to proceed to a final run-off vote against Georgescu.

But the election, scheduled for 8 December, was cancelled with two days to go, as the Romanian Public Ministry said it was investigating “electoral offences that may have influenced the voting process through methods such as voter manipulation, including online”.

Then on Sunday, Romanian police detained 21 individuals linked to Georgescu for allegedly planning to intimidate journalists and politicians in Bucharest, confiscating weapons, explosives, money and other items. Victor Ilie, an investigative journalist who exposed Russian election funding, was threatened by a Georgescu supporter last week.

For now, four pro-Western parties plan to form a coalition to oversee the rescheduled presidential election while Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will remain in office.

Land war over border, cyberwar at home

The stakes are high on the EU’s eastern flank. Romania, which joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007, shares a 400-mile border with Ukraine and plays a critical role in grain exports as well as the defence alliance’s framework.

Romania has been a stalwart Western ally in the decades since the fall of Communism in 1989, generally avoiding the far-right populism that sprang up in neighbouring countries. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Romania has helped export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through its port Constanta, donated a Patriot air defence battery to Kyiv, and trained Ukrainian fighter pilots.

However, two days before the CCR’s decision, on Wednesday, 4 December, Georgescu told Reuters that he would, if elected, stop Ukrainian grain exports through Romania and end further military aid to Ukraine, adding that Romania is not obliged to stick to NATO’s spending rules, which recommend alliance members spend at least 2% of national GDP on defence.

Then Romanian intelligence declassified reports revealing that Russian actors had run hybrid interference campaigns, with offences including cyberattacks, unlawful promotion and foreign funding. Investigations are ongoing.

The European Commission (EC) sent TikTok an “urgent” request for information on the platform’s controversial role in the elections under the EU’s Digital Services Act of 2022.

Henna Virkkunen, EC executive vice-president overseeing digital policy, said: “We are concerned about mounting indications of coordinated foreign online influence operation targeting ongoing Romanian elections, especially on TikTok.” The Chinese platform has reported removing tens of thousands of fake accounts tied to the operation.

Lasconi decries election annulment

Numerous elections of recent years in CEE have seen Russian disinformation, cyberattacks, and covert propaganda, but Romania’s cancellation is unprecedented.

Both candidates called the move a blow to democracy. On Saturday Lasconi wrote on Facebook: “I know your vicissitudes: please don’t turn them into ammunition for extremists,” adding that the Constitutional Court’s decision “has further divided us, strengthened even stronger the trust in the institutions and came at a very high cost. But I trust the vote no matter how many times the CCR makes arbitrary decisions.

“Russia’s influence, but also of the deeply corrupt system of the past and present weaken us, make us vulnerable,” she said, but pledged that “if the Constitutional Court announces elections ten times, I will run eleven times”.

Georgescu protests outside polling station

For his part, Georgescu wrote on Saturday, 7 December, “Voting is an earned right my dear ones. Therefore it is our right to be in front of the polling stations tomorrow. Expect to be received, expect democracy to prevail through your power. One by one voting you can create the hour of democracy.

“Tomorrow at 8am I will be at the polling station in Mogosoaia (north of Bucharest). Gentlemen, open the sections, the ballots are printed, Romanians want to vote! Let Romanians choose their destiny, don’t let others choose our destiny. Tomorrow I will wait for you for your right won in ’89, tomorrow I will wait for your vote! State institutions should open the way to democracy!” he added.

US enters the chat

On Saturday, Lasconi wrote to US president-elect Donald Trump: “Dear President Trump, You have all my respect for the great things you have done, and will continue to do, to put America first and for your continuous fight for the American people… I am not the ‘Soros candidate’, I am of the people, like you.

“Given our geographic location, Romania is an important partner of the United States. My opponent’s candidacy was about putting Romanians in the Russian corner,” she added.

The US State Department wrote on 4 December it has “been closely following the elections in Romania.  It is the choice of the Romanian people whom they elect, and the United States does not interfere with that choice or process.

“We are concerned by the Romanian Supreme Council for National Defense’s report of Russian involvement in malign cyber activity designed to influence the integrity of the Romanian electoral process.  Data referenced in the report should be fully investigated to ensure the integrity of Romania’s electoral process.

“The United States values Romania’s contributions as a strong NATO Ally and partner in the European Union.  Romania’s hard-earned progress anchoring itself in the Transatlantic community cannot be turned back by foreign actors seeking to shift Romania’s foreign policy away from its Western alliances. 

“Any such change would have serious negative impacts on US security cooperation with Romania, while a decision to restrict foreign investment would discourage U.S. companies from continuing to invest in Romania,” department spokesman Matthew Miller wrote.

Kremlin election interference suspected in previous CEE votes

In Ukraine’s 2010 presidential election, Viktor Yanukovych’s victory was shadowed by accusations of Russian meddling through state-controlled media. Similarly, in Bulgaria’s 2016 presidential election, Russian-backed propaganda helped propel pro-Moscow candidate Rumen Radev to victory.

Disinformation drives during Czechia’s 2018 presidential election targeted pro-Western candidate Jiri Drahos, benefiting Kremlin-friendly then head of state Milos Zeman.

Even in Estonia, with more robust cybersecurity frameworks, Russian disinformation undermined pro-Western parties and boosted far-right candidates in its 2019 parliamentary elections.