Romanian presidential election to be rerun after court ruling

A top Romanian court annulled the first round of the country's presidential election yesterday, days after declassified intelligence alleged Russia had run a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round.

- Deborah Cole

The election will now be rerun.

The constitutional court's decision came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence two days earlier that alleged Moscow had used thousands of social media accounts to promote the pro-Russia candidate Calin Georgescu on platforms such as TikTok and Telegram.

Despite being an unknown who declared zero campaign spending, Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner on 24 November, a shock result in an EU and Nato member state bordering Ukraine. He had been due to face the pro-European reformist Elena Lasconi, of the Save Romania Union party, in a runoff tomorrow, and was seen as having a significant chance of winning. The ballot has now been cancelled despite voting being already under way abroad.