site.btaPresidential Election Process Was Flawed throughout Its Duration, Romania's Constitutional Court Says

The presidential election process was flawed throughout its duration, Romania's Constitutional Court said in its reasoning for annulling the first round of voting. The Court reached this decision during an emergency session held on Friday.

"At every stage, there were numerous irregularities and violations of electoral law, undermining the free and fair nature of the vote," the judges said in a statement released on Friday evening. Legal provisions regarding campaign financing were also disregarded, the document said.

The judges noted that the use of digital technology and artificial intelligence—whether by candidates, political parties, or their supporters—must be transparent to uphold the integrity and fairness of the electoral process.

Otherwise, voters may be unable to form informed opinions about candidates and electoral options, or they could be misled about the candidates’ identity and credibility or the procedures of the election, the statement further read. Therefore, when such practices are employed in the electoral process by competitors, including political parties, it is the responsibility of relevant public authorities to investigate and, when necessary, sanction such conduct in accordance with the law, the judges argued.

The first round of the presidential elections in Romania took place on November 24, with far-right independent candidate Calin Georgescu winning the most votes. Georgescu was due to face Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a December 8 runoff.