Romania’s top court on Friday annulled the first round of the country’s presidential election, days after allegations that Russia conducted a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round.
The Constitutional Court’s unprecedented ruling – which is final – came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence on Wednesday that Russia had conducted a massive campaign involving thousands of social media accounts to promote Calin Georgescu on platforms such as TikTok and Telegram.
Despite being a huge underdog who announced zero campaign spending, Georgescu emerged as the favorite on November 24. He was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Union for Saving Romania party in a run-off on Sunday.
A new date will now be set for the repeat of the first round.
The intelligence files are from the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Ministry of the Interior.
In light of the intelligence report, Romania’s Constitutional Court has received multiple legal appeals calling on it to annul the first-round vote, but it is not yet clear on what basis it made the decision.
The same court last week ordered a recount of first-round votes, adding to the myriad controversies that have engulfed the chaotic election cycle.
