Romania's top court annuls presidential vote first round

Romania's presidential election process must be rerun, the country's top court decreed on Friday, annulling the result of the election's first round.

The second round had been due to be held on Sunday and voting is already underway in polling stations abroad.

Having polled in single digits before the first presidential election round on November 24, Calin Georgescu – who wants to end Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's attack – surged to a victory that raised questions over how such a surprise had been possible in a European Union and NATO member state.

The Constitutional Court's unprecedented decision — which is final — came after President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday declassified intelligence from Romania's top security council saying the country was a target of "aggressive hybrid Russian attacks." The intelligence alleged a sprawling campaign comprising thousands of social media accounts to promote Georgescu across platforms like TikTok and Telegram.

"The electoral process to elect Romania's president will be fully re-run, and the government will set a new date and ... calendar for the necessary steps," the court said in a statement.

The second round of the presidential contest would have pitted Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate, against pro-EU centrist leader Elena Lasconi. 

The court has not called into question the integrity of the parliamentary vote. Far-right parties also performed well in last Sunday's parliamentary election in Romania, though the ruling Social Democrats emerged as the largest grouping and hope to cobble together a pro-EU coalition government.