Romania’s pro-European Union President Klaus Iohannis announced that he would remain in his position until a new president can be elected, following the country’s highest court’s decision to cancel the presidential vote just two days prior to the run-off.
“I will stay in office until a new president of Romania is elected,” Mr. Iohannis stated in a speech, adding that a new government resulting from last weekend’s legislative elections would need to be established to determine a date for the new presidential election.
The Romanian Supreme Court annulled the ongoing presidential election amid allegations of Russian interference, declaring that the entire electoral process, originally scheduled to conclude this weekend, would have to be conducted again.
The second round of voting had been slated for Sunday, and voting had already commenced at polling stations abroad.
Romania’s pro-EU President Klaus Iohannis confirmed he would continue in his role
“The electoral process for electing the president of Romania will be entirely re-conducted, and the government will establish a new date and calendar for the necessary steps,” the court stated in its announcement.
Mr. Georgescu had low single-digit support in opinion polls before the first round on November 24 but saw a significant surge that led him to a first-place finish, raising concerns regarding the legitimacy of the outcome.
This Romanian politician advocates for an end to Romania’s support for Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion.
If he were to win the presidency, it could significantly shift Romania’s pro-Western stance, aligning closer with a group of states in Central and Eastern Europe that have influential populist, Russia-leaning politicians, such as Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria.
The court’s ruling has thrown the country into a state of institutional confusion.
President Iohannis’s term is set to conclude on December 21, and it remains uncertain who will assume the role of head of state after that date.
Analysts suggest that the ruling might destabilize institutions, incite street protests, and ultimately jeopardize the nation’s pro-Western trajectory.
It is currently unclear whether Mr. Georgescu will be permitted to participate in the re-run election.
Romania’s top security council has declassified documents indicating that the country faced “aggressive hybrid attacks from Russia” during the electoral period.
Russia has denied any involvement in Romania’s election campaigns.
The Supreme Court, which had previously validated the first round of voting, stated in its reversal that it was “striving to ensure the fairness and legality of the electoral process,” promising a more detailed explanation of its ruling at a later time.
George Simion, leader of the opposition hard-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), described the court’s ruling as a “coup d’état,” claiming that “nine politically appointed judges, fearing that a candidate outside the establishment could become Romania’s president, decided to invalidate the will of the Romanian people.”
Mr. Simion finished fourth in the initial round and subsequently endorsed Mr. Georgescu along with AUR.
Calin Georgescu seeks to end Romanian support for Ukraine amidst Russia’s invasion.
Romania’s anti-organized crime prosecuting unit DIICOT announced that it is initiating an investigation into Mr. Georgescu’s campaign following the examination of the declassified documents.
“Prosecutors are investigating potential crimes related to illegal operations with computer devices or programs, attempted disruption of computer system functions, and unauthorized access to a computer system,” the agency stated.
The run-off vote would have been the third consecutive election following the first presidential round and the parliamentary election on December 1, where far-right parties acquired a third of the seats, while the ruling Social Democrats emerged as the largest party and aimed to form a pro-EU coalition government.
The parliamentary vote remained unaffected by the court’s ruling.
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In one of the declassified documents, Romania’s intelligence agency reported that Mr. Georgescu was extensively promoted on the social media platform TikTok through coordinated accounts, recommendation algorithms, and paid promotions.
Mr. Georgescu has reported zero campaign expenditure.
TikTok refuted any allegations of favoring Mr. Georgescu, stating his account was designated as a political account and treated like all others.
