Unexpected turn of presidential race in Romania: no runoff December 8th, everything to be done again. The Constitutional Court invalidated the results of the first round, held on November 24th, and has established that repeat the entire electoral processThe decision was taken after the declassification of documents which highlighted alleged foreign interference, in particular Russian, in the vote.
“The ruling aims to ensure the legality and integrity of the electoral process,” the Court said in a statement, highlighting the role of interference as a decisive element.
The second round, which was supposed to see the clash between the far-right and pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu and the pro-European centrist leader Elena Lasconi, was therefore cancelled.
Romania, what happened in the first round
The first round of the presidential election in Romania had reserved great surprises, completely overturning the predictions of the eve: the two main favorites had been defeated by two outsiders. The unexpected winner of the runoff was Calin Georgescu, an independent candidate known for his nationalist and eurosceptic positions, who had placed first with 22,94% of the votes. Close behind was Elena Lasconi, leader of the progressive party Save Romania Union (USR), with 19,16%.
Among the big losers there was the outgoing prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, given as the favourite but excluded from the ballot with 19,16%, and George Simion, the sovereignist leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), who had disappointed expectations by stopping in fourth place with 13,9%. The voter turnout had stood at 53%.
Romania, Russian interference in elections: an alarming picture
I declassified reports from the Security Council of Romania describe a alarming picture:
- Digital manipulation: A network of over 25.000 TikTok accounts was allegedly activated to boost Georgescu's popularity. Around 800 of these previously inactive accounts began operating en masse on November 11, shortly before the first round.
- Suspicious payments: A TikTok account allegedly paid out €381.000 in one month to promote the candidate.
- Cyberattacks: Over 85.000 cyberattacks have been recorded that aimed to exploit vulnerabilities in the electoral system.
These operations have followed models already observed in Ukraine and Moldova, thus raising doubts about the actual autonomy of the Romanian electoral result.
Incumbent Prime Minister Ciolacu: “The only correct decision”
The outgoing prime minister Marcel Ciolacu he called the Court's decision “the only correct choice“, praising the courage of the institutions. On the contrary, Elena Lasconi harshly criticized the sentence, stating: “The electoral process should have continued in compliance with the will of the Romanian people.”
Citizens also reacted with mixed feelings: While some see the crisis as a necessary step to defend democracy, others fear that the cancellation represents a further sign of political instability.
Romania, when will the next elections be?
The cancellation does not limit itself to postponing the second round: theentire electoral process, including the campaign, will have to be repeated. According to the law, the new elections will be held on December 22, but it remains uncertain whether the current candidates will be allowed to run again. A political and institutional crisis that also calls into question the'reliability of Romanian democratic institutions and their ability to address hybrid threats.
Romania, with approximately 19 million inhabitantsi, is a semi-presidential republic in which the president, a politically active figure, appoints the prime minister and represents the country abroad. Klaus Iohannis, of the National Liberal Party (PNL), has held the position for the past ten years, supporting Ukraine. Currently, the government is a coalition between the PNL and Ciolacu's Social Democratic Party, formed in 2021 after a political crisis.
With a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine, Romania has a strategic role for NATO, hosting over 5.000 soldiers and serving as a transit hub for Ukrainian grain. The previous election campaign had focused on the rising cost of living, with Romania having the highest percentage of citizens at risk of poverty in the European Union.
A warning signal for Europe
The Romanian case is just the latest example of a worrying trend: theexternal interference in European democratic processes. The cancellation of the elections does not only represent a step backwards for domestic politics, but a warning for the whole of Europe, which must strengthen cybersecurity and social media controls to protect its sovereignty and electoral transparency.
