Romania’s presidential election first round could be invalidated following an appeal by conservative candidate Cristian Terhes. The country’s top electoral authority announced on Friday that the vote, held on November 24, might be rerun on December 15, with a possible runoff scheduled for December 29 if the court decides to annul the results.
Toni Grebla, head of Romania‘s electoral commission, confirmed that a recount of the 9.46 million votes would take place, but election officials have expressed concerns that the recount cannot be completed before the court reconvenes on Friday afternoon. Terhes is seeking to have the results voided, citing alleged interference in the campaign.
Romania’s Supreme Defence Council has said there is evidence of foreign meddling in the election, including claims that TikTok provided undue exposure to one of the candidates, independent far-right politician Calin Georgescu. Although Georgescu was polling in single digits before the vote, he unexpectedly surged to a strong position, raising suspicions. TikTok has rejected the allegations, while Russia has also denied involvement in any election interference.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the presidential vote, authorities have stated that Romania’s parliamentary election, set for December 1, will proceed as planned. The country is also preparing for a presidential runoff between Georgescu and centrist candidate Elena Lasconi, which is expected to take place after the parliamentary election.
The developments have raised concerns over the integrity of Romania’s electoral process and the potential political ramifications of invalidating the first round of the presidential election. Critics warn that such a move could erode public confidence in the nation’s democratic institutions.
