Romania’s presidential election was the target of hybrid attack, France’s Ambassador to Bucharest said, the latest public comments by a diplomat on interference in the vote that catapulted a pro-Russian candidate to win the first round.
“Romania was the subject of a hybrid attack last November”, said Ambassador Nicolas Warnery, the French ambassador to Bucharest, expressing his solidarity with the decision to hold fresh elections in May.
“Just as we, the French, have been attacked in recent months, and even a few years ago, also on an electoral level. The 2017 French presidential elections were also attacked. Differently, not on TikTok, it was not about algorithms, it was a cyber attack,” he told Digi24.
His comments came after the Italian and British ambassadors in Bucharest also warned over foreign interference in Romania’s electoral process.
“We understand your decision to completely restart the presidential elections… we support you in this effort.
“We are here to help you avoid a new hybrid attack. We must all be united in the face of these cyber threats, these hybrid attacks,” Mr. Warnery told Digi24.
Hard-right Calin Georgescu, dubbed the “TikTok Messiah,” unexpectedly won the first round of Romania’s presidential elections, which was then annulled following the declassification of intelligence reports showing Russian interference on social media to boost the then-little known candidate.
Georgescu is facing criminal proceedings including acts against the constitution and lying about his campaign finances.
He is also facing charges linked to his support for sympathizers of the Iron Guard, a pre-World War II fascist and antisemitic movement, which is illegal.
