Romania Orders Recount Amid Protests, TikTok Scrutiny After Pro-Russia Candidate's Surprise Lead

Nov 28, 2024, 12:03 PM

Romania is facing political turmoil after pro-Russian, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu won a surprise victory in the first round of the presidential election held on November 24, 2024, securing 22.9% of the vote despite polling predictions of less than 10%. Georgescu's unexpected success has led to widespread student protests, with demonstrators chanting 'We want democracy' and 'We are for NATO.' Conservative opposition leader Elena Lasconi also advanced to the second round, narrowly edging out Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu by a margin of 2,740 votes. Concerns over the integrity of the electoral process have prompted Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to convene an emergency meeting of the Supreme Defense Council to discuss possible cyberattacks aimed at influencing the election. The Constitutional Court has ordered a recount of all votes from the first round due to these concerns. Authorities have summoned TikTok CEO to address worries over the platform's role in the election, with EU lawmaker Valérie Hayer demanding testimony before the European Parliament. The Romanian telecoms regulator is considering suspending TikTok amid allegations of disinformation.