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The presidential runoff in Romania was scheduled for December 8 but was canceled after Romania鈥檚 Constitutional Court  the results of the first round just forty-eight hours before the vote. To back this , the court cited nontransparent use of digital technology and artificial intelligence in the electoral campaign, and election violations attributed to interference of 鈥渟tate actors,鈥� which other Romanian authorities identified as Russia. 

Authorities and many in Romanian civil society believe the winner  from a social media campaign that was similar to influence operations run by the Kremlin in Ukraine and Moldova. 

The court鈥檚 decision came after a stunning surge to first place by far-right candidate C膬lin Georgescu, who had been polling in the single digits until the vote actually took place. In another unprecedented move, Romania鈥檚 president  that supported the court鈥檚 ruling. The documents allege that Georgescu鈥檚 victory was facilitated through various illegal means, including cyberattacks and a Russian-style TikTok campaign.

Disruptive Campaigning

C膬lin Georgescu, a political outsider with no party affiliation who skipped major TV debates and barely registered in national polls,  after the first round of elections. The 62-year-old Georgescu鈥檚 package also includes EU and NATO skepticism, antifeminism, and pro-Russian views. 

Georgescu  in 1992 at Romania鈥檚 Environment Ministry before transitioning to the Foreign Ministry. He later represented Romania in various UN agencies in Vienna and Geneva. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he emerged as a vocal critic of vaccines, frequently promoting conspiracy-driven narratives.

The first-round results led to the  of the pro-EU, center-left prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, as leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the party of Romania鈥檚 post-communist establishment. Ciolacu, once considered the front-runner, finished third, with 19.15 percent of the vote, trailing behind pro-EU and pro-NATO center-right Elena Lasconi, a former TV anchor and the mayor of C芒mpulung. This marked the  that a PSD candidate failed to advance to the second round of a presidential election.

The results shocked many Romanian and Brussel circles not just because of a dramatic shift in Romania鈥檚 political landscape but also because Georgescu conducted an unorthodox campaign. He operated without formal headquarters, led no visible organization, and refused to participate in televised debates with other candidates. According to Georgescu, his campaign cost 鈥渘ot a single penny鈥� and was run entirely by volunteers.

In his public statements since the Constitutional Court ruling, Georgescu addressed the EU and the U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, accusing 鈥減owerful interest groups鈥� of orchestrating the annulment. Echoing the  of Georgia鈥檚 ruler Bidzina Ivanishvili about a 鈥済lobal war party,鈥� Georgescu : 鈥淩omania has the biggest border with Ukraine and has the biggest corruption system in the EU! To get more money and power, this groups [sic] need to invoke a war, which is good for them ... and very bad for all of us.鈥� 

Romania, which shares a 400-mile border with Ukraine, has prioritized boosting defense spending and providing aid to its war-torn neighbor. The country recently  its defense budget to meet NATO鈥檚 2-percent GDP guideline. Notably, Romania is also the site of a major military development project,, set to become the largest NATO base in Europe, surpassing Germany鈥檚 Ramstein Air Base.

Echoes of the Past, Amplified by Tech

In stark contrast, Georgescu鈥檚 campaign centered on reducing Romania鈥檚 reliance on foreign food and energy, cutting aid to Ukraine, and tackling the country鈥檚 rising cost of living. Speaking to Reuters before the vote, he  that if elected, he would stop Ukrainian grain exports through Romania. In a BBC interview, he praised Donald Trump and the Hungarian populist leader Viktor Orb谩n. He also  Vladimir Putin as a 鈥減atriot and a leader,鈥� though he added, 鈥淏ut I am not a fan.鈥� 

On TikTok, Georgescu crafted an image of himself as a 鈥渢rue Romanian and a strong leader,鈥� appearing in traditional clothing while riding horses, attending church services, track running, and practicing judo鈥擵ladimir Putin鈥檚 signature sport. By December 2024, his TikTok account had  over 580,000 followers and 6.4 million likes. 

When questioned about potential ties to Russia, Georgescu  any such connection: 鈥淸I have] no relationship with Russia, only with the Romanian people. We are talking about the lack of any connection with Russia and about the fact that my only relationship is with the Romanian people.鈥�

What Georgescu鈥檚 TikTok campaign omitted was his praise for Romania鈥檚 former dictator and Nazi ally. He has  to Ion Antonescu, Romania鈥檚 leader during World War II who was sentenced to death for his role in the Holocaust, as a national hero and 鈥渕artyr.鈥� Georgescu has also repeatedly glorified the Iron Guard, Romania鈥檚 fascist movement from the interwar period. In 2020, he  the Iron Guard as 鈥渢he strongest essence and expression of health and self-will born from the Romanian people.鈥�

Enhanced Social Media Campaigning

Georgescu鈥檚 election campaign heavily relied on TikTok videos, boosted by bot activities to make them go viral. Some bots also attacked his rivals. Using bots to boost a candidate鈥檚 popularity is a long-used tactic and was widely used during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and multiple political campaigns throughout the world.

One of the intelligence declassified by the Romanian president revealed that 797 TikTok accounts created in 2016 had recently been reactivated to support Georgescu鈥檚 candidacy. Additionally, 25,000 more TikTok accounts became active just two weeks before the elections. TikTok鈥檚 algorithm allegedly failed to label recommended content as election-related, violating Romanian election laws. 

Account activity may have been orchestrated by a 鈥渟tate actor,鈥�  another document. The agency further assessed that 鈥渁 highly skilled digital marketing firm鈥� was likely behind the campaign, with those involved demonstrating expertise in circumventing TikTok鈥檚 platform regulations. The documents do not directly state that Russia tried to swing the election but strongly suggest it, Politico  in its analysis of the declassified documents. 

The documents also disclosed that one account paid $381,000 to influencers promoting Georgescu鈥檚 campaign, directly contradicting his earlier claims that his campaign had no funding. In response, Romania鈥檚 telecom watchdog has , citing concerns over foreign election interference and online manipulation. Authorities have launched investigations into the election鈥檚 integrity and urged the European Commission to examine potential 鈥渁lgorithmic amplification鈥� that may have boosted Georgescu鈥檚 visibility鈥攍eaving many voters unaware of his true political affiliations.

Despite concerns about manipulative tactics and artificial social media backing, Georgescu鈥檚 popularity among Romanians is a reality. 鈥淚t seems to have been driven largely by widespread frustration with mainstream parties,鈥� Anda Iulia Solea, lecturer in cybercrime at the University of Portsmouth,  in her analysis of the role social media played in the Romanian election. 

The opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Kennan Institute.