Why Has Romania Annulled Presidential Election Results Won By Pro-Putin Candidate?

Constitutional Court in Romania has annulled the results of the country’s first-round presidential election, demanding the electoral process be rerun. This unprecedented decision comes in the wake of the declassification of intelligence documents by President Klaus Iohannis, which implicated Russia in an alleged campaign to bolster far-right candidate Călin Georgescu through social media platforms such as TikTok and Telegram.

Entire electoral process annulled

The court issued a statement saying it had “annulled the entire electoral process regarding the election of the president of Romania,” which has raised concerns about foreign interference and the integrity of the country’s electoral process.

The court issued a statement saying it had “annulled the entire electoral process regarding the election of the president of Romania,” which has raised concerns about foreign interference and the integrity of the country’s electoral process.

Foreign influence in Romania elections

The declassified intelligence documents, provided by several Romanian agencies—including the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunication Service, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs—suggest that Russia orchestrated a campaign to influence the presidential election. This revelation has triggered further scrutiny over the potential impact of foreign interference on Romania’s democratic framework.

Despite being considered an outsider with no campaign spending, Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of voting on November 24. He was set to face reformist candidate Elena Lasconi in a runoff scheduled for Sunday. Following the annulment, a new date will be set for the first round of voting. The vote abroad, where 951 voting stations had already opened to accommodate Romania’s large diaspora, was also halted.

Lasconi denounces Romania court decision

Elena Lasconi, who had been preparing for the runoff, strongly criticized the court’s ruling, calling it “illegal, immoral, and a direct blow to the essence of democracy.”

“We should have moved forward with the vote. We should have respected the will of the Romanian people. Whether we like it or not, from a legal and legitimate standpoint, 9 million Romanian citizens, both in the country and the diaspora, expressed their preference for a particular candidate through their votes. We cannot ignore their will!” Lasconi said in a statement.

She continued, “I know I would have won. And I will win because the Romanian people know I will fight for them, that I will unite them for a better Romania. I will defend our democracy. I will not give up.” Lasconi added that any issues regarding Russian interference should have been addressed after the election.

Prime Minister supports court’s decision

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu defended the court’s decision, labeling it as “the only correct solution” in light of the intelligence revelations. He emphasized that the electoral process had been “flagrantly distorted as a result of Russian interference,” and underscored that the elections must be held again.

“The presidential elections must be held again,” Ciolacu stated on Facebook. “At the same time, investigations by the authorities must uncover who is responsible for the massive attempt to influence the outcome of the presidential election.”

Earlier, the same court had ordered a recount of the first-round votes, a move that added to the growing list of controversies surrounding the election. Although many observers feared that annulling the election could lead to civil unrest, the court had validated the results on Monday, prior to this latest decision.

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