December 7, 2024 at 03:21AM
Romania’s constitutional court annulled the presidential election’s first round due to Russian interference allegations, with the second round canceled. Călin Georgescu, the initial winner, called the ruling an “officialized coup.” The U.S. and EU are monitoring foreign influence on elections, particularly via TikTok, amid numerous cyber intrusion attempts.
**Meeting Takeaways – December 7, 2024: Cybersecurity / Election Fraud**
1. **Romania’s Presidential Election Situation:**
– The Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election due to allegations of Russian interference.
– Consequently, the second round of voting scheduled for December 8, 2024, has been canceled.
2. **Political Reactions:**
– Călin Georgescu, who won the annulled first round, condemned the court’s decision as an “officialized coup” and an attack on democracy.
3. **Future Elections:**
– The Constitutional Court stated that a complete resumption of the electoral process would take place, with a new date and schedule to be established by the Government.
4. **Evidence of Foreign Influence:**
– Declassified documents allege a pro-Russian influence campaign leveraging a network of 25,000 TikTok accounts promoting Georgescu.
– It remains unclear whether Georgescu was aware of or participated in this campaign.
5. **Cybersecurity Threats:**
– The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) reported over 85,000 cyber intrusion attempts aimed at election websites and IT systems during the first round of voting.
– The cyber operations exhibited characteristics typical of state-sponsored attackers.
6. **Statements from International Bodies:**
– The U.S. State Department emphasized the importance of free and fair elections in Romania, devoid of foreign interference.
– The European Commission has increased monitoring of TikTok, focusing on the platform’s role in potential electoral risks and manipulation.
7. **TikTok’s Response:**
– TikTok disclosed it disrupted operations of small networks related to the Romanian elections that had previously engaged in inauthentic behaviors.
– Previous findings in September 2024 identified a network of 22 accounts promoting misinformation against the Romanian government.
8. **Ongoing Monitoring:**
– The European Commission has requested TikTok to preserve data relevant to electoral risks and provide insights on managing misinformation and manipulation techniques.
**Next Steps:**
– Await further announcements regarding the rescheduled election date from the Romanian government.
– Monitor developments related to international responses to the electoral integrity and cybersecurity measures in Romania.