EU probes TikTok over alleged Russian interference in Romania's election
Romanians head to the polls on Sunday for the decisive second round of the presidential election. Following the surprise first-round victory of pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu and the elimination of current prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, the European Commission has tightened its scrutiny of the social network TikTok.
Concerns are mounting not only over suspected Russian interference but also because the Romanian presidency wields significant influence over national security and foreign policy in the strategic Eastern European country.
In the first round, Georgescu obtained 22.9 per cent of the vote, ahead of conservative-liberal Elena Lasconi on 19.2 per cent. Ciolacu, who is pro-European and left-leaning, narrowly missed the second round, securing 19.15 per cent of the vote.
Campaign financing
Georgescu's unexpected victory on 24 November left the country reeling. Two losing candidates, Sebastian Constantin Popescu and Cristian Terheș, filed complaints with the Romanian Constitutional Court, alleging irregularities in Georgescu’s campaign financing. A Romanian influencer claimed he had been paid to promote Georgescu’s candidacy.
The complainants accused Georgescu of breaking the law by failing to disclose campaign funding and accepting foreign money, which is prohibited in Romania.
Some commentators speculated that Russia was behind Georgescu’s success. Despite these allegations, the Constitutional Court ordered a recount, which ultimately confirmed the initial results on 2 December.
Rumours of Russian interference began circulating almost immediately after the first-round results. Allegations include the manipulation of TikTok to influence voters.
On Thursday, the European Commission disclosed it had received "recently declassified information" suggesting possible Russian meddling. The Commission has since demanded transparency from TikTok regarding its user suggestion system and its approach to combating manipulation.
National election scrutiny
The Commission’s monitoring is not limited to Romania. Its investigation covers "national elections in the EU between 24 November 2024 and 31 March 2025". While not making substantive conclusions yet, the Commission confirmed it was examining whether TikTok complies with its legal obligations.
Romania’s presidency carries significant power over national security and foreign policy, with each term lasting five years. Current president Klaus Iohannis, who has held office for nearly a decade, is ineligible to run for a third term.
Meanwhile, Romania's pro-European parties have reached a deal to form a coalition after last weekend's parliamentary elections in a bid to keep growing nationalist and far-right parties out of government.
Presidential candidate Călin Georgescu votes during Romania's parliamentary elections, 1 December 2024 © PHOTO MIHAI BARBU / AFP
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