Britain’s foreign minister is disturbed by claims of Russian meddling in Romania’s elections but said London remains ‘confident in its democracy’ even after Bucharest canceled a presidential runoff.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy posted a message on X a day after Romania’s Constitutional Court sensationally annulled the second round of elections following the release of declassified intelligence reports that showed Russian manipulating the electoral process.
Concerned by reports from Romanian authorities of Russian interference in their presidential elections.
Romanian elections should be decided only by the Romanian people, freely and fairly.
The UK remains a resolute Ally and friend to Romania and is confident in its democracy.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) December 7, 2024
“Concerned by reports from Romanian authorities of Russian interference in their presidential elections. Romanian elections should be decided only by the Romanian people, freely and fairly. The UK remains a resolute Ally and friend to Romania and is confident in its democracy,” the message reads.
Far-right Calin Georgescu and reformist mayor Elena Lasconi were due to compete in a runoff on December 8 in what would have been a tight contest.
Both candidates have slammed the court ruling as an ‘attack on democracy.’
Romania has seen almost two weeks of protests following the first-round win of radical, Euro skeptic candidate, Georgescu, who has said he doesn’t believe man landed on the moon and has questioned the existence of the war in Ukraine. Georgescu defied polls and expectations to improbably come first in the first round.
Since the unprecedented court ruling on Friday afternoon, however, protests have ended.
Nationalist or sovereigntist parties won a historic 35% of the vote in Dec. 1 parliamentary elections which were sandwiched between the presidential elections. They have criticized the decision to cancel the runoff, but their supporters have not gone on the streets to demonstrate.
Presidential elections will start from scratch and will probably take place next spring. Outgoing President Klaus Iohannis will stay in office until a new president is elected.
“Romania is safe, solid, pro-European country,” president says after elections canceled
