ROMANIA: Annulled Elections, a Breach of Justice?

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Last Friday, 6th December, was a very interesting day. As I was getting off work, my thoughts drifted to the weekend's plans and our Finnish Independence Day celebrations. But then, an unexpected announcement from the Romanian Constitutional Court caught me completely off guard! In a shocking move, the Court invalidated the first round of the Presidential Elections, forcing the candidates to restart the entire process from scratch. 

This week’s blog post dives into this unprecedented decision and explores what it could mean for the future of Romanian democracy.

 WHAT HAPPENED EXACTLY?

On Friday afternoon, the Romanian Constitutional Court dropped a bombshell: the results of the first round of the Presidential Elections were annulled, and the entire process would have to start over from scratch. Candidates must now re-register, gather signatures, and receive formal approval before they can relaunch their campaigns. This extraordinary and unprecedented decision has no parallel in any other country. 

The shock of this announcement was intensified by the Court’s stance earlier in the week. On Monday, the same Constitutional Court had upheld the election results and approved a recount, confirming that Elena Lasconi and Călin Georgescu would advance to the second round scheduled for Sunday, December 8th. The sudden about-face came after declassified documents from an investigation by the Romanian Intelligence Services—commissioned by current President Klaus Iohannis—revealed new and undisclosed evidence. 

What made this reversal even more chaotic was its timing. By midday Friday, the Romanian diaspora had already started their three-day voting process. By the time the announcement was made at approximately 3:00 PM, more than 48,000 Romanians living abroad had already cast their ballots. The abrupt and disruptive nature of this decision has thrown the electoral process into turmoil and raised serious questions about its impact on the future of Romanian democracy.

BUT... WHY?

Investigations by the Romanian Secret Services (SRI) uncovered that Călin Georgescu’s campaign had been heavily bolstered by foreign influence, with strong hints pointing towards Russia, although it was not explicitly named. The investigation revealed that Georgescu’s campaign saw a meteoric rise just two weeks before the November 24th election day. 

Approximately 25,000 different accounts began flooding social media platforms with content promoting Georgescu. Among these, some were newly created, while about 800 TikTok accounts dated back to 2016 but had shown minimal activity before this surge. Notably, 2016 is the same year when Russian troll factories were implicated in aiding Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, drawing parallels that raised further suspicion. 

Each account operated from a unique IP address, complicating efforts to trace their origin to a specific country. The SRI also revealed that a Telegram group was used to coordinate these accounts, providing strategies to manipulate TikTok’s algorithms into perceiving their posts as organic and original content. 

Beyond this clear digital operation, questions were raised about the financing of Georgescu’s campaign. He claimed to have spent no money on his election efforts, a statement that contradicted visible evidence of expensive posters, billboards, and a sophisticated online advertising strategy. High-profile influencers admitted to being paid approximately €80 per 20,000 followers they engaged, with some now expressing regret for their involvement. 

Faced with overwhelming evidence of a coordinated hybrid warfare campaign that skewed the election in Georgescu’s favor, the Romanian Constitutional Court declared the election process too compromised to proceed. In an effort to safeguard democracy and uphold the rule of law, the Court annulled the election results, signaling a bold stand against such tactics.

WHAT IS HAPPENING NEXT?

Klaus Iohannis, the current President of Romania, was originally set to finish his term on December 21st. However, with the annulment of the election results, his mandate has been extended until a new President can be sworn in.

The timeline for the rescheduled elections will be set by the incoming parliament once it is sworn in and a new government is formed. This delay adds to the political uncertainty triggered by the annulment and highlights the uphill battle in rebuilding trust in Romania’s democratic process.

Meanwhile, Călin Georgescu is now under investigation, with authorities also probing his close associates. Several of his allies have already been taken into custody, as law enforcement intensifies its efforts to uncover the full extent of wrongdoing tied to his campaign.

MY THOUGHTS

I can’t fully express the joy and relief I felt when the announcement came through. I had been anxiously waiting all weekend, hoping against hope that the election results would be annulled. By Monday, when the verdict upheld the results, I had already resigned myself to voting for Elena Lasconi and was encouraging everyone around me to do the same.

I understand why some people view this decision as undemocratic or an infringement on voters' rights. It's true that many genuinely voted for Călin Georgescu. While I don’t believe the election was outright rigged, the bigger issue is clear. Allowing the results to stand would have meant ignoring the hybrid warfare tactics that manipulated the process—and, in effect, sacrificing our democracy. This decision, though difficult, was necessary to protect the integrity of our electoral system.

We can look to examples that show both the success and dangers of dealing with foreign interference. Take Moldova, for example, where democracy prevailed despite significant Russian influence. It’s a powerful reminder of what can happen when democratic institutions stand strong.

On the other hand, Georgia serves as a stark warning. There, Russian influence took hold, and the government has since moved in an anti-Western direction. This has sparked massive protests in the streets, with citizens fighting to reclaim their democratic rights. These contrasting examples highlight the stakes and why safeguarding our electoral process is so crucial.

I stand by Klaus Iohannis: Romania is a free and democratic nation. We have no problem fulfilling our NATO obligations and adhering to EU values. We must defend this way of life with everything we have. Otherwise, what was the point of the revolution 35 years ago?

CONCLUSION

The Romanian Constitutional Court made an unprecedented decision when it annulled the first round of elections. While this may seem undemocratic to many, it was a necessary and just move to reaffirm that Romania will defend its democratic and pro-European values, as outlined in our Constitution. We will not bow to a terrorist state like Russia; instead, we will fight with everything we have to preserve our integrity and democracy.

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