Romania Constitutional Court annuls presidential elections amid Russian interference claims News
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Romania Constitutional Court annuls presidential elections amid Russian interference claims

The Romanian Constitutional Court decided on Friday to halt the country’s ongoing presidential elections. The decision came after the president in-duty, Klaus Iohannis declassified four internal intelligence documents, indicating that Russia unduly supported one of the candidates via aggressive hybrid attacks.

Georgescu, the main ultra-nationalist and pro-Russian candidate in the country’s electoral race condemned the court’s verdict, saying “Democracy is under attack”. In a later Facebook post, Georgescu called on the main electoral bodies in Romania, the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) and the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), to resume the voting process. According to the candidate and his legal team, the Constitutional Court’s decision is binding, but there is no penalty for not implementing it.

Elena Lasconi, a liberal centrist candidate also criticized the decision, stating that the Romanian state has failed to defend democracy.

The US Department of State welcomed the annulment, expressing confidence in Romania’s democratic institutions and processes. Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken said at the 2024 OSCE Ministerial Council that “Romanian authorities are uncovering a Russian effort – large in scale and well-funded – to influence the recent presidential election, contrary to OSCE standards.”

The Constitutional Court’s decision has also caused debate regarding its legality. According to the Atlantic Council, even though TikTok and Telegram influencers may have been paid to support a candidate’s cause and haven’t disclosed these payments following campaign financing rules, this does fall into the category of potentially illegal behavior. Nevertheless, social media is not the only factor determining voters’ orientations, and its activity was found to be “opaque, but mostly legal.”

Maša Ocvirk, Program Coordinator for the Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program stated that Russian interference in Romania does not come as a surprise, as there have been similar efforts in Moldova and Georgia. According to Ocvirk, Romanian political instability more broadly affects the European Union, especially concerning support for Ukraine.

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