Romania Cancels First-Round Election Results
In an unprecedented move, Romania’s Constitutional Court has nullified the results of the first round of its presidential elections following allegations of Russian interference.
This historic ruling halts the second-round vote, previously set for December 8, 2024. Călin Georgescu, who secured victory in the initial round, criticized the decision, labeling it an “officialized coup” and a severe blow to democracy.
“The entire electoral process will restart, with the government determining a new date and schedule for the presidential election,” stated the Constitutional Court of Romania.
Citing Article 146(f) of the Constitution, the court emphasized the need to preserve the integrity and legality of the electoral process. Its ruling is final and binding.
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Cybersecurity Concerns and Russian Influence Allegations
Romania’s government declassified documents last week, revealing a pro-Russian influence campaign that leveraged TikTok to promote Georgescu. The campaign reportedly operated through a network of 25,000 accounts executing coordinated disinformation strategies.
The allegations have raised critical questions about foreign interference, though it remains unclear whether Georgescu was aware of or involved in these efforts. Predictably, Russia has denied any meddling in the election process.
Simultaneously, the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) disclosed that the country endured over 85,000 cyberattacks targeting election-related websites and IT infrastructure during the first round.
"The scale and sophistication of these cyberattacks indicate significant resources consistent with a state-sponsored actor," the SRI reported.
International Reactions and NATO’s Concerns
The U.S. State Department condemned the alleged interference, with spokesperson Matthew Miller stating:
“Romanians must trust that their elections represent the democratic will of their people, free from foreign malign influence aimed at undermining fairness.”
The European Commission has also increased its oversight of TikTok, urging the platform to:
- Preserve data related to systemic risks posed to electoral processes.
- Retain internal documents detailing how its recommendation systems work.
- Address risks stemming from coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB) campaigns.
TikTok’s Role in the Election Scandal
TikTok acknowledged taking action against covert influence campaigns:
- November 2024: Dismantled two clusters of accounts (78 and 12 accounts each) campaigning for Georgescu and independent candidate Mircea Geoană.
- September 2024: Removed a network of 22 accounts spreading misinformation and anti-government narratives.
Collectively, these networks amassed over 300,000 followers and used inauthentic methods to amplify their messages.
“While these operations have been small-scale and domestically coordinated, we are committed to monitoring both on-platform and off-platform activities to counter deceptive behavior,” TikTok stated.
Implications for Future Elections
The Romanian government’s decision to restart the election underscores the growing influence of cyber and information warfare in modern democracies. As NATO and the EU increase scrutiny of social media platforms like TikTok, the challenge of protecting elections from state-sponsored manipulation grows more urgent.