Romania’s Constitutional Court has overturned the outcome of the country's presidential election after Romania's intelligence agency claimed that foreign interference had changed the outcome of the election.
The court overturned the election results after a declassified report from its intelligence agency was released that alleged foreign interference via TikTok. This marks the first major instance of a country overturning an election due to allegations of foreign interference.
The recent election saw Călin Georgescu, 62, who ran without a party and made no campaign appearances, come in first in the first round of elections with 22.9% of the vote.
His stunning victory shocked every political observer as his campaign was entirely conducted through TikTok.
Politico noted that Georgescu's TikTok had garnered over 3.8 million likes and 298,000 followers, while his videos routinely received millions of views which propelled him to the top. However, Georgescu's populist rise to the top as a total outsider is running into trouble as the Romanian court system is attempting to stop him.
If Georgescu is to be believed, the Romanian court system and intelligence community are working together to stop a populist political movement, similar to how Democrats and American intelligence agencies have united against President-elect Donald Trump.
Georgescu issued a statement following the decision overturning the election saying, "Today, the Romanian state has trampled on democracy. We wrote history. It is time to show that we are a brave people. Democracy is under attack. … On this day, the corrupt system made a pact with the devil. I have only one pact — with the Romanian people and God.”
The declassified report named many of Georgescu's biggest supporters on TikTok promptly inciting outrage as it appears that the Romanian government is trying to intimidate Georgescu's supporters.
Călin Donca, a pro-Georgescu TikToker with 680,000 followers who was on the report, said "I appear on the declassified lists as the largest account that supported Călin Georgescu and I also appear as one of the people who continue to support him. And I support him, I don’t back down, I walk alongside him."
In yet another striking similarity to Trump, Georgescu's opponents claim that it was Russia that was behind his meteoric rise to fame and prominence.
A recount was held after the country’s largest party, the Social Democratic Party, demanded one alleging widespread voter fraud. After none was found, they instead resorted to claims that Georgescu was propped up by Russia.
George Simion, the leader of the right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians, expressed outrage over the decision saying, "Constitutional Court just annulled the entire electoral process for the presidential elections, i.e. both rounds. SHAMEFUL!!! Coup d’etat in full force! We are not taking to the streets, we will not be challenged, this system must fall democratically! God bless Romania!"
Georgescu was elected through an organic populist campaign that circumvented the establishment and they won't let it stand without a fight.
This situation is rapidly evolving and Americans ought to keep an eye on it as this could get ugly quickly. The Romanian establishment may do everything in their power to stop populism and preserve their power.
