Defeated Romanian far-right candidate calls for court to annul election over alleged interference

Romanian ultranationalist leader George Simion announced Tuesday that he would contest his defeat in Sunday’s presidential runoff, alleging foreign interference in the election.

Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), claimed that external forces, including France and Moldova, had attempted to influence the outcome, though he provided no concrete evidence to support his allegations. 

“I officially ask the Constitutional Court to annul the Romanian presidential elections for the same reasons the December elections were annulled: external interferences by state and non-state actors," Simion wrote on X.

Simion referenced Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s claims thatFrench authorities pressured Telegram to restrict “conservative voices in Romania.” French officials have dismissed these accusations.

In response to Simion's statement, Durov said on X that he would be willing to testify in court “if it would benefit Romanian democracy.”

Read more: France rejects Telegram CEO's accusations of Romanian election interference

Simion’s claims come amid heightened concerns over foreign influence in Romanian politics. Earlier in December, Romania’s court annulled the first round of the presidential election due to evidence of Russian interference, including a disinformation campaign on TikTok and other social media platforms. 

The winner of that round, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu, was disqualified from the race after facing allegations of campaign finance violations and promoting extremist groups. 

Simion’s campaign also relied on a strong social media strategy, with frequent TikTok videos and support from nationalist influencers, particularly among younger voters in rural areas.

In the election runoff on Sunday, pro-European Union candidate Nicușor Dan secured 53.6% of the vote, defeating Simion with 46.4%. 

In the lead-up to the election, Romanian authorities reported an uptick in Russian-backed disinformation activity, particularly from the group Doppelgänger. 

The narratives pushed by Russia-linked actors included accusations of crimes committed by the Romanian government against its citizens, unfounded allegations of “massive electoral fraud,” and claims that Sunday’s vote had already been canceled.

Romania previously issued warnings ahead of the first round of the election in May, which was also marked by Russian disinformation campaigns.