The upcoming election in Romania on 4 May has seen almost 40% of voters still undecided on who to vote for. This follows the annulment of the last election in December, in which ultranationalist candidate Calin Georgescu claimed a shocking victory but was later barred from running again due to allegations of Russian meddling. The four frontrunners in the upcoming election are far-right AUR party leader George Simion, Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, pro-EU coalition candidate Crin Antonescu, and former prime minister Victor Ponta. Simion is currently polling as the favorite to reach the second round, despite controversy surrounding his media access policy. Meanwhile, Dan has expressed concerns about misinformation targeting him online during the campaign.
The last election in December was annulled by the Constitutional Court due to allegations of Russian interference to promote ultranationalist candidate Calin Georgescu. The court’s decision plunged Romania into a political crisis, and it was revealed that the country had been targeted by “aggressive hybrid Russian attacks” during the election period. In February, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against Georgescu, accusing him of incitement to actions against the constitutional order and false declarations of electoral campaign funding. Georgescu has denied any wrongdoing. Concerns over hybrid attacks and misinformation campaigns continue to be a major issue in the upcoming election.
Victor Ponta, a former prime minister and one of the frontrunners in the upcoming election, has faced controversy over allegations that he diverted floodwater from the Danube to save Belgrade from flooding in 2014, causing damage to Romanian villages. Ponta has denied these allegations and insisted that no harm was done to people, homes, or animals. Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan has also raised concerns about online misinformation during the campaign, accusing the Central Electoral Authority of either incompetence or bad faith. The National Audiovisual Council has launched a campaign to combat illegal online content, urging Romanians to report videos containing misinformation, incitement to violence, or hatred.
The top security council in Romania declassified documents in December revealing that the country had been targeted by aggressive hybrid Russian attacks during the last election. This included a social media campaign to promote ultranationalist candidate Calin Georgescu, whose victory was later annulled due to allegations of Russian meddling. Prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against Georgescu in February, accusing him of incitement to actions against the constitutional order and supporting fascist groups. Despite these challenges, the upcoming election in Romania on 4 May features four strong candidates vying for the presidency, with concerns over hybrid attacks and misinformation campaigns remaining a major issue.
The Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the results of the last election in December led to a prolonged political crisis in Romania. This unprecedented move was a response to allegations of Russian interference to promote ultranationalist candidate Calin Georgescu, who was subsequently barred from running in the upcoming election. The four frontrunners in the current race are AUR party leader George Simion, Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, pro-EU coalition candidate Crin Antonescu, and former prime minister Victor Ponta. The ongoing concerns over hybrid attacks and misinformation campaigns have raised serious questions about the integrity of the upcoming election and the influence of external actors on Romanian politics.
