Romanians have been protesting after a far-right candidate secured a shock win in the first round of the country’s presidential elections © Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP
According to Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence, Georgescu was granted “preferential treatment” by TikTok that it said led to his “massive exposure” — a claim the social network “categorically” denied.
The defence council also said officials had detected “cyber attacks aimed at influencing the correctness of the electoral process”, reporting “a growing interest” on the part of Russia “to influence the public agenda in Romanian society”.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who failed to reach the presidential runoff, scheduled for December 8, called it a potentially “flawed, stolen” election, while stressing he would not participate in a possible re-run.
Far right seeks gains
Two major parties have shaped the country’s politics for the past three decades, but analysts predict a fragmented parliament will emerge from Sunday’s vote, influencing the chances of forming a future government.
The far right is currently leading the polls at more than 30 percent.
The country of 19 million people has so far resisted rising nationalism in the region, but experts say it faces an unprecedented situation as anger over soaring inflation has mounted.
Several parties are running in Sunday’s vote.
Among the far-right parties are the AUR party, whose leader, George Simion, won nearly 14 percent of the presidential vote, and the extreme-right SOS Romania party, led by firebrand Diana Sosoaca.
The recently founded Party of Young People (POT), which entered the political scene after Georgescu’s surprise win, has meanwhile thrown its support behind him and could reach the five-percent threshold to enter parliament.
Far-right leader George Simion, a fan of Donald Trump, hopes for a breakthrough © Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP
“We are here, standing, alive, more numerous than ever, and with a huge opportunity ahead of us,” Simion — a fan of US President-elect Donald Trump — recently told his supporters.
Lasconi’s pro-European USR party hopes to come out on top, warning that the country faces “an existential battle”, “a historic confrontation” between those who wish to “preserve Romania’s young democracy” and those who want to “return to the Russian sphere of influence”.
The ruling Social Democrats (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL), which suffered a defeat in the presidential ballot, have centred their campaigns on their “experience”.
“The political scene is completely reset,” said expert Stefureac, adding that 2025 “will be extremely complicated in terms of security risks” amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.
© 2024 AFP
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Publish date : 2024-11-29 09:51:00
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