US reaffirms support for Romania amid unprecedented presidential election annulment
<p>The United States reaffirmed its support for Romania following the Constitutional Court's unprecedented annulment of the presidential elections, citing foreign interference. In a statement issued by US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller on December 6, the US emphasized the importance of electoral integrity and the democratic will of the Romanian people.</p>

<p>"The United States stands with the Romanian people as they face an unprecedented situation regarding the integrity of their elections.&nbsp;Romanians must have confidence that their elections reflect the democratic will of the Romanian people and are free of foreign malign influence aimed at undermining the fairness of their elections. The integrity of Romania's elections is paramount for Romanians' hard-earned democracy. It is the choice of the Romanian people whom they elect. No other country or foreign actor has that right," reads the US Department of State's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/statement-on-romanian-constitutional-courts-ruling-on-romanias-presidential-elections/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p>

<p>The US acknowledged the Constitutional Court's ruling and expressed its trust in Romania's democratic institutions and ongoing investigations into alleged foreign interference.</p>

<p>"We call on all parties to uphold Romania's constitutional order and engage in a peaceful democratic process free from threats of violence and intimidation and which reflects the Romanian people's democratic will," the same source said.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr also reacted to the news of the presidential election annulment in Romania. In a post on X, the son of US president-elect Donald Trump said: "The Constitutional Court just canceled the first round of their presidential election. Another Soros/Marxist attempt at rigging the outcome &amp; denying the will of the people. She's going to lose, and they know it."</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wow, look at what’s happening in Romania! The Constitutional Court just canceled the first round of their presidential election. Another Soros/Marxist attempt at rigging the outcome &amp; denying the will of the people. She’s going to lose, and they know it. <a href="https://t.co/F71dr26hNR">https://t.co/F71dr26hNR</a></p>
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1865160362988826986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Adding to these developments, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen held discussions about strengthening social media security in the aftermath of the annulled elections. The EC has already issued an order to block specific information on TikTok as part of the ongoing investigation.</p>

<p>In a post on X, von der Leyen expressed her commitment to ensuring digital platforms comply with the Digital Services Act, especially during elections. She also reiterated that "the Romanian people decide what is best for their country without foreign interference."</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Good phone call with <a href="https://twitter.com/KlausIohannis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KlausIohannis</a><br />
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The Commission will keep working so that platforms respect their obligations under the Digital Services Act regarding elections in Europe.<br />
<br />
It’s for the Romanian people to decide what’s best for their country, free from foreign interference.</p>
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) <a href="https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1865412484254802315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>In his turn, Iohannis also posted a message on social media after the phone conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, stating: "We agreed that we need to strengthen the security of social media, following the elections in our country."</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Following the latest developments in Romania, I had an in-depth 📞 discussion with the President of the European Commission, Ursula <a href="https://twitter.com/vonderleyen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vonderleyen</a>. We agreed that we need to strengthen the security of social media, following the elections in our country.</p>
— Klaus Iohannis (@KlausIohannis) <a href="https://twitter.com/KlausIohannis/status/1865395738093486347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>TikTok, in particular, has faced scrutiny after allegations that its algorithms boosted the visibility of candidate Călin Georgescu during the campaign. Romanian authorities reported significant manipulation on the platform, favoring Georgescu with "massive exposure" in violation of local election laws. European authorities have demanded that TikTok provide full data related to election activities and compliance with EU regulations.</p>

<p>Following <a href="https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-declassified-reports-calin-georgescu-presidential-elections-2024" rel="noopener" target="_blank">recently declassified reports</a>&nbsp;alleging Russian involvement in cyber activities aimed at undermining the integrity of the electoral process, the Constitutional Court decided on December 6 to annul the entire presidential election process.<a href="https://www.romania-insider.com/ccr-annuls-presidential-elections-romania-december-2024" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> Klaus Iohannis said he will remain in office until his successor is sworn in</a>, which may take several months as a new government, to be validated by the newly-elected Parliament, will be tasked with setting the new dates for the presidential elections.</p>

<p><i>irina.marica@romania-insider.com</i></p>

<p><i>(Photo source:&nbsp;</i><meta charset="UTF-8" /><em><a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/roibul_info">Roibul</a>/<a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/">Dreamstime.com</a>)</em></p>