The French cybersecurity agency Viginum has stated that Russia may once again try to interfere in the elections in Romania, using the same methods as last year. At that time, Moscow organized a large-scale information operation on TikTok, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the presidential elections, as reported by Rfi.
The agency, responsible for monitoring foreign digital interference, published a detailed report on Russia's influence campaign that took place in December 2024. At the center of the operation was TikTok, through which the far-right candidate Călin Georgescu was pushed into the information space. His campaign, promoted by a network of accounts linked to Russia, experienced a sharp surge in popularity on the social network, which influenced the voting results.
Viginum determined that the tactic of astroturfing – faking mass support – was used to manipulate public opinion. More than 25,000 coordinated TikTok accounts participated in the operation, many of which had been inactive for several years. These accounts began mass posting videos and comments with the necessary hashtags and keywords. The hashtag #calingeorgescu alone gathered over 73 million views in one week.
According to the agency, Georgescu, a previously inconspicuous politician, gained nearly 23% of the votes in the first round due to this digital campaign. As RFI reported, Professor Sergiu Miscoiu from Babes-Bolyai University stated that more than 130 influencers were involved in promoting Georgescu, hired through companies connected to Russia. Many of these bloggers did not even know whose interests they were representing.
The information attack was not limited to TikTok – it also spread to Facebook and Instagram. Moreover, Romanian authorities recorded more than 85,000 cyberattacks, allegedly carried out by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
After Russia's intervention, in December 2024, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the election results, acknowledging that the outcome had been distorted. This decision triggered protests and political instability. U.S. Vice President JD Vance publicly questioned the legitimacy of the election annulment, stating at the Munich Security Conference that European values would be at risk if elections were annulled by court rulings.
According to Viginum, the organizers of the information campaign demonstrated "perfect mastery of moderation-bypassing methods," skillfully taking advantage of TikTok's popularity in Romania, where the platform has around 9 million users. The agency urges France and other EU countries to increase oversight of digital advertising and influencer activities ahead of upcoming elections, including those in Albania and Poland.
According to Miscoiu, Russia's goal is not to directly promote its own interests. The main objective is to undermine trust in democratic institutions, create alternative versions of reality, and sow doubt about the effectiveness of the European Union and liberal democracy. He also noted that among the fake news spreading in Romania's information space were rumors about the forced conscription of young Europeans to fight in Ukraine, as well as claims that Eastern Europeans were supposedly being given expired food and "second-hand" services.
Viginum had previously warned about Russian attempts to influence elections in Europe. The agency now points out that despite the annulment of voting in Romania, the tactic used to disrupt the election is once again in use. Elections in Romania are scheduled for May 18.
