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By Michael D. Carroll and Lottie McGrath
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Romania's Constitutional Court has annulled the results of the first round of the country's presidential election, requiring the process to be rerun.
The unprecedented decision followed the declassification of intelligence documents by President Klaus Iohannis which alleged that Russia orchestrated a campaign to promote far-right candidate Călin Georgescu on platforms such as TikTok and Telegram.
The court said in a statement that it "annuls the entire electoral process regarding the election of the president of Romania."
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"The government will establish a new date for the election... as well as a new calendar program for carrying out the necessary actions," the statement added.
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The Constitutional Court's decision is final. Last week, the same court ordered a recount of the first-round votes.
On November 24, Georgescu won the first round with 23 percent of the vote. Elena Lasconi, of the Save Romania Union, came in second with 19 percent. The Social Democrats, who are currently in power, came in third. Georgescu was due to face the pro-EU Lasconi in a run-off on Sunday.
The allegations raised concerns about foreign interference in Romania's electoral process, leading to heightened scrutiny over the integrity of the vote and its potential impact on the country's democratic framework.
Georgescu is a known critic of Romania's pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO policies. In 2018, he called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "true leader." On December 5, Georgescu told the BBC he would end aid for Ukraine if elected.
Romania shares a 381.4-mile border with Ukraine and has been a staunch supporter of the country since the war began on February 24, 2022.
A 62-year-old independent, Georgescu came to prominence thanks to his TikTok campaign, which has amassed 450,000 followers and 5.1 million likes. Intelligence documents also revealed that TikTok accounts paid users promoting Georgescu, with one account making payments of up to $381,000 to pro-Georgescu users on TikTok.
Access data for Romanian election websites was also found to have been published on cybercrime websites that originate in Russia.
Georgescu has denied any wrongdoing and says that his campaign was supported by "a network of Romanian volunteers."
Following reports of Russian interference in the Romanian election, the U.S. State Department released a statement saying: "We are concerned by the Romanian Supreme Council for National Defense's report of Russian involvement in malign cyber activity designed to influence the integrity of the Romanian electoral process. Data referenced in the report should be fully investigated to ensure the integrity of Romania's electoral process."
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