BUCHAREST: Romania’s presidential election was thrown into chaos Thursday as a court ordered a recount of first-round results and security officials alleged that interference via TikTok had boosted a little-known far-right candidate.
The moves came as the country braces for legislative polls plus a run-off vote between a far-right admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a pro-European centrist contender.
The Romanian presidency said security officials had detected “cyberattacks” intended to influence the outcome of Sunday’s vote, which saw far-right candidate Calin Georgescu secure an unexpected first-round win.
Georgescu knocked Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu out of the race, setting up a second-round standoff on December 8 with centrist Elena Lasconi, who placed second.
Another far-right candidate meanwhile went after Lasconi, securing an order from the constitutional court on Thursday for the first-round votes to be recounted.
The unsuccessful far-right candidate, EU parliament member Cristian Terhes, accused Lasconi’s Union Save Romania (USR) party of continuing to campaign online after the legal deadline.
In response, the constitutional court unanimously ordered a “re-verification and recount of all ballots” from Sunday’s vote, it said in a statement.
The court meanwhile rejected a separate request by another presidential candidate to annul the first round of the vote, ruling that the demand came too late.
The constitutional court is due to reconvene on Friday at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT).
Barely known outside Romania, Georgescu’s popularity was allegedly boosted by viral TikTok campaigns calling for an end to aid for neighbouring Ukraine in its war with Russia and sounding a sceptical note on NATO.
On Thursday, a top Romanian security body said Georgescu was granted “preferential treatment” by social media platform TikTok that it said led to his “massive exposure”.
In the statement, the Supreme Council of National Defence demanded authorities “urgently take the necessary steps” to shed light on the matter.
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