A recent investigation has cleared up the mystery behind the Romanian presidential election scandal. It turns out that the allegations suggesting Russia funded a social media campaign to boost independent candidate Calin Georgescu’s chances were completely false.
Many believed that Georgescu’s strong performance in the first round of voting was part of a Russian-backed operation. His campaign, especially its online presence on platforms like TikTok, sparked rumors of foreign interference. But after a deep dive by an investigation, it was revealed that Georgescu’s campaign was actually funded by Romania’s pro-Western National Liberal Party (PNL), not Russia. The media outlet Snoop reported that the real source of his TikTok promotion was the PNL, with the help of a political marketing firm, Kensington Communication.
Georgescu, who is a vocal critic of NATO and the European Union, topped the first round of voting with 22.94%. His main rivals, liberal left-wing and social democrat candidates, were left behind. But just days after the vote, Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the election. They cited “irregularities” in how Georgescu’s campaign was promoted, particularly online, through paid influencers and extremist groups.
The court claimed that the campaign’s online presence might have been influenced by Russia, which was seen as helping Georgescu’s rise. Moscow has firmly denied any involvement, calling the accusations “absolutely groundless.”
The investigation, however, discovered the truth. Tax authorities traced the money behind Georgescu’s TikTok ads, and they found that it came from the PNL, not any foreign power. The campaign was created to encourage Romanians to vote responsibly and continue the country’s democratic path. Influencers were given a script to discuss the qualities of a future president without naming Georgescu specifically. However, some influencers mentioned Georgescu’s name in the comments below the posts, leading to the controversy.
One expert involved in the investigation described it as a shocking revelation that public funds were used by the PNL to promote an opposing candidate. Kensington Communication, the marketing company responsible, claimed that their campaign had been “hijacked” and promised to file a criminal complaint.
Georgescu, who has been labeled “pro-Russian” by his critics, is now challenging the annulment of the election results in court. He called the situation a violation of the constitution and even referred to it as a “coup d’état.” His case is set to be heard by Romania’s Supreme Court on December 23.
The leak of this information came just days before Romanian President Klaus Iohannis’ term ended, adding to the drama of the unfolding election saga.
