Romania to investigate foreign interference after far-right vote surge

LONDON — Romania’s top security agency said Thursday it is investigating possible foreign interference in Sunday’s first round of the nation’s presidential election. The far-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, topped all other candidates with almost 23% of the vote, despite polling in single digits before the election.

Georgescu will compete in a December 8 runoff with center-right candidate Elena Lasconi, who finished second with 19% and hopes to pick up support from defeated centrist and leftist candidates. Romanians will also vote in parliamentary elections on December 1.

The Supreme Defense Council, which is led by incumbent President Klaus Iohannis, is due to meet on Thursday to “analyze possible risks to national security generated by the actions of state and non-state cyber parties,” according to a statement released Wednesday by the president’s office.

Additionally, the National Audiovisual Council of Romania, which regulates broadcasting and social media, has urged the European Commission to investigate the role TikTok may have played in Sunday’s vote amid what it called “suspicions of manipulation of public opinion,” according to Reuters.

Protests

Protesters have taken to the streets of Bucharest in the wake of Georgescu’s surprise victory. Uma, a student who did not want to give her family name, joined the protests in central Bucharest on Monday.

“Calin Georgescu, an extremist, a far-right extremist who is a pro-Russian, wants to take Romania away from the NATO course,” she said.

Georgescu has questioned NATO and European Union support for Kyiv in its war against Russian invaders. Romania hosts several thousand U.S. troops and shares a 613-kilometer border with Ukraine.

The 62-year-old presidential candidate has praised fascist politicians in the 1930s as Romanian heroes.

NATO membership, Russian engagement

In a video streamed Tuesday on social media, Georgescu — standing alongside his wife, Cristela — sought to clarify his positions.

“I do not want to leave NATO. I do not want to leave the European Union. What I want, however, is to take a stance, not to kneel over there, not to take everything. We should do everything in our national interest,” Georgescu said. “I have no connection to everything that says, ‘With Russia.’ I am Romanian, first and foremost. … I have no connection, and I am not, first and foremost, antisemitic.”

Georgescu has urged Western engagement with Russia, echoing other right-wing European leaders such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban, said noted political analyst Radu Magdin, CEO of Smartlink Communications.

“Mr. Georgescu talks a lot about peace. And the thing is, we all want peace, Ukraine wants peace. But it’s not easy to have peace when somebody invades your territory. So, from this perspective, by claiming peace, he’s part also of a movement across Europe, which in fact is a translation of what you may call war fatigue,” Magdin told VOA.

Speaking on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was unfamiliar with Georgescu’s policies. “We are well aware of Romania’s current leadership. It is not a friendly country for us. So, we will be watching the further development of electoral processes and who is going to win.”

Inflation

Economic pressures have also driven frustration with the established parties, according to Magdin.

“Beyond the geopolitics, what really bites is the living conditions,” he said. “Romania is affected by inflation, like a lot of other countries, and living conditions are not what they used to be.

“It’s like a never-ending nightmare. We had COVID, then we had the first wave of economic impact. Then we had war in the region, an energy crisis and an inflation wave again. And yes, you could say that Europe has tried to be resilient. But the reality is, we are all tired.”

TikTok

Young and overseas voters appear to have boosted Georgescu’s results.

“On social media, he was dominant on TikTok compared with other candidates,” Magdin said. “His vision is mostly conservative, traditionalist. … For example, he talks about peasants, not farmers, so as to connect with that part of the electorate. He sounds a little bit bucolic. He invokes God quite a lot, as well.”
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