Romania is facing a major political upheaval after the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) annulled the entire presidential election process, even though the second round of voting was already in progress.
The decision, made on Friday, was announced just two days before the highly anticipated second-round election, which was set to feature a contest between independent candidate Calin Georgescu and Elena Lasconi, the leader of the Save Romania Union.
In the first round of voting, Georgescu had emerged as the frontrunner, securing 22.94% of the vote with 2,120,401 votes. He was followed closely by Lasconi, who garnered 19.18% of the vote, and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party, who received 19.15%.
Despite the close race, the annulment of the election results was based on complaints from various institutions, including from Cristian Terhes, the Romanian National Conservative Party's candidate. Terhes had earned 95,782 votes, about 1.04% of the total.
The decision from the CCR came after it rejected a petition from Terhes earlier in the week, which had sought to annul the results of the first round of voting.
However, the ruling on Friday effectively restarted the entire electoral process, mandating the Romanian government to set a new date and timeline for the election. This decision ensures that the presidential election will begin from scratch.
The political landscape in Romania is expected to change significantly following the upcoming parliamentary elections. The new government will be formed once the results of the parliamentary elections, scheduled for December 1, are validated.
In the meantime, President Klaus Iohannis has announced that he will remain in office until a new president is elected and sworn in. He further clarified that he has no intention of becoming the country's prime minister, as the debate over his future role continues.
Alongside the annulment of the election, Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has launched an investigation into alleged cybercrimes linked to Georgescu's presidential campaign.
The investigation was prompted by declassified intelligence from Romania's Supreme Council for National Defence, which suggested that Georgescu's TikTok campaign had been targeted by cyber actors.
These attacks were believed to have been state-sponsored, with suspicions of Russian involvement, as Romania has been a target of hybrid warfare in recent years.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs also reported links between Georgescu’s supporters and extremist, criminal, and pro-Russian groups, raising further concerns.
Although the investigation is still in its early stages, with no formal charges filed yet, it has already sparked a heated debate among the candidates. Lasconi, one of Georgescu's main rivals, criticised the CCR’s decision, calling it a blow to democracy.
She argued that the electoral process should have continued and expressed confidence that she would win the runoff. Meanwhile, Ciolacu, representing the Social Democratic Party, expressed support for the ruling, calling it "the only correct solution."
He also emphasised the need for thorough investigations to identify those responsible for any electoral interference and underscored Romania's commitment to its pro-European path.
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