BUCHAREST — Romania’s top constitutional court has annulled the country’s presidential election, after security services warned the vote had been distorted by a mass Russian influence campaign to favor a far-right candidate.
Ultranationalist independent presidential contender Călin Georgescu came from nowhere two weeks ago to win the first round of the election. But he benefited from a TikTok campaign that was similar to influence operations run by the Kremlin in Ukraine and Moldova, according to declassified Romanian intelligence documents.
On Friday, after receiving multiple requests, the court said in a statement that it “annuls the entire electoral process regarding the election of the president of Romania.”
The second round runoff was due to be held on Sunday. That will now not take place, the statement said.
