Campaign of far-right politician Călin Georgescu “directed from Moscow,” Romanian president says

President Nicușor Dan said he can “state 100% that the important part of Călin Georgescu’s campaign was directed from Moscow.” The comment refers to Romania’s cancelled December 2024 presidential elections, when Georgescu came in first place during the first round.

During an interview given on Tuesday, October 28, to Cotidianul.ro, Nicușor Dan discussed the issue of the annulment of the elections. He explained that social networks were influenced to Georgescu’s benefit and that the traces of those who paid for online advertising led to Russia. Tracing the payments, however, has been proving difficult.

“We know some of these [payments] lead to the Kremlin. It was much more evident in the Republic of Moldova than in Romania, but even here, there are networks of accounts that are connected to advertising companies,” Dan said.

He also suggested that there is “a network of Romanians" who backed the pro-Russian candidate.

This is not the first time the president has hinted at Georgescu’s unknown local backers. In September of this year, he suggested that the candidate, who declared no campaign funds in the cancelled 2024 presidential elections, had behind him “a network that included some Romanians with money.”

Dan doubled down on the statements and Georgescu's Russia ties in the recent interview. “I can state 100% that the important part of Călin Georgescu’s campaign was directed from Moscow.”

He also said that the network of people was known by the Romanian Intelligence Service (or SRI), but the Romanian service did not manage to identify the technical mechanism that influenced the voting intention for Călin Georgescu.

Back in September, Georgescu was sent to trial on charges of complicity in an attempted coup, alongside alleged paramilitary leader Horațiu Potra and 20 other people. The former candidate is also facing trial in a separate case for promoting fascist ideology and pro-legionary propaganda, accusations that prosecutors say include the glorification of Marshal Ion Antonescu and ultranationalist populism.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Malina Norocea)