Romania's constitutional court has made a historic decision to annul the first round of the country's 2024 presidential election process. The initial round was narrowly won by far-right ultranationalist candidate Calin Georgescu, who faced allegations of Russian interference.
This ruling effectively cancels the second-round runoff that was set to take place, where Georgescu would have competed against centrist rival Elena Lasconi. The decision comes after the same court ordered a recount of the first-round votes last week.
Concerns over foreign interference in the election escalated following the release of declassified documents from Romania's top security council. These documents revealed evidence of 'aggressive hybrid Russian attacks' and highlighted how Georgescu's campaign on TikTok, where he primarily operated, was boosted through algorithms, coordinated accounts, and paid promotions.
The documents also exposed a series of cyber-attacks that occurred during the election period, raising further alarms about the integrity of the electoral process.
Calin Georgescu, 62, initially started his campaign with minimal support but experienced a surprising surge in popularity. He narrowly secured the lead in the first round of the election with 22.9% of the vote, surpassing Lasconi's 19.2%.
