Hybrid Warfare Exposed: Romania Annuls Presidential Election

Romania has made history as the first country to invalidate a presidential election result because of foreign interference through TikTok.

Ultranationalist Călin Georgescu emerged as an unexpected frontrunner in Romania’s presidential election, winning the first round just two weeks ago. His improbable success was driven by a blend of populist, anti-establishment messaging and an exceptionally effective social media campaign, notably on TikTok.

According to declassified Romanian intelligence documents, TikTok campaigns supporting Georgescu resembled the influence operations orchestrated by the Kremlin in Ukraine and Moldova. The files revealed that Moscow had targeted Romania as an enemy state, employing "aggressive hybrid action"—a conclusion supported by the United States.

Declassified files released by Romanian authorities earlier this week suggest that a pro-Russia campaign used the messaging app Telegram to recruit thousands of TikTok users to promote Georgescu. - Associated Press

The second round of the presidential election was slated for Sunday, with voting already underway among Romanian diaspora communities abroad. However, the court abruptly annulled the entire process.

This decision now compels the Romanian government to establish a new timeline for presidential elections, effectively restarting the electoral process.

The court’s ruling pushes Romania to investigate this matter thoroughly and release all evidence publicly. For both Romania and the EU, the pressure to expose the extent of foreign interference has never been higher. The fact that the top constitutional body in Romania chose to annul the election results indicates the existence of compelling evidence strong enough to justify the decision. Judges would have been well aware of the consequences that would follow their ruling.

The European Union, using its Digital Services Act (DSA), has ordered TikTok to turnover data related to the election interference within 24 hours. "We are concerned about mounting indications of coordinated foreign online influence operation targeting ongoing Romanian elections, especially on TikTok," said Henna Virkkunen, the Commisison's executive vice-president in charge of digital policy.

This investigation will expose the full extent of the interference, and when it becomes clear that Russia orchestrated the manipulation and weaponized social media for propaganda, it will be a pivotal moment. Whether Călin Georgescu was directly involved in the Russian campaign is beside the point. From Russia’s perspective, the outcome is what matters. If Georgescu wins, he may support Russia—or he may not.

Regardless, Russia would have succeeded in elevating a far-right nationalist with nativist views, a figure who aligns with the Kremlin's goal of fostering inward-looking, isolationist movements. Think about it for a moment. Even if he loses the election, Russia would have elevated his standing both inside and outside Romania. In a way, they have already won.

This strategy is why right-wing groups globally admire Putin: for them, it’s about power and control. For Russia, it means another nation destabilized and vulnerable, ready to be influenced. For aspiring oligarchs, it means more opportunities to exploit. It is much easier for a rich man to secure favorable tax breaks and subsidies from an ultranationalist leader than to navigate the many hoops the EU would place before him. If you’re wondering why US billionaires want to break up the EU and NATO, this is the reason.

This incident calls for a strong response from NATO. A member state has faced a hybrid attack by a foreign power, pushing the EU and NATO to decide how to act. They have to respond.

There is no other option.