Romania’s Constitutional Court recently made the shocking decision to cancel the country’s presidential election, citing alleged foreign interference. This ruling has been met with criticism from the two candidates who were set to face off in the second round, Elena Lasconi and Călin Georgescu. However, the European Commission has refrained from commenting on the matter, stating that it is up to the Romanian citizens to decide their destiny.
The Commission is, instead, focusing on investigating the role that TikTok played in the election and its potential violation of the Digital Services Act, the EU’s law against disinformation. The Chinese-owned company is under scrutiny for allegedly manipulating the election through coordinated actions on its platform. Despite compliance with information requests, TikTok could face further consequences depending on the analysis of the data.
The decision to annul the election has raised concerns about foreign interference, particularly from Russia, as intelligence agencies revealed a covert online network on TikTok that was actively promoting Georgescu’s candidacy. The involvement of a state actor in manipulating the election through social media campaigns has sparked outrage in Romania and prompted President Klaus Iohannis to address the issue with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
As the situation unfolds, the focus remains on upholding free and fair elections in Europe and preventing foreign interference in member states’ democratic processes. The cancelation of the Romanian election serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by online platforms in ensuring the integrity of electoral processes.
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