Russia manipulated elections in Romania, French president Emmanuel Macron says

French president Emmanuel Macron said that Russia manipulated elections in Romania and that the cancellation of last year's presidential elections did not shock him as a result of that intervention.

Macron made the comments during a session of questions from users on social media regarding the situation in Ukraine. Over one hour, he addressed several questions, focusing mainly on France’s position, the actions of the EU and NATO, and the importance of unity among nations in the face of geopolitical tensions.

The French president also spoke about the manipulation of algorithms to influence voters. During the live session, a listener asked "what do you think about the cancellation of elections in Romania?"

Macron said that the decision was unprecedented and has shaken Romania.

“It is troubling that the supreme court found that Russia was massively involved through proxy networks, intermediaries, and fake accounts, manipulating these elections. By heavily leveraging social networks, it influenced and even paid for votes, distorting the integrity of the election process,” he said, cited by ProTV.

As a result of that influence, Emmanuel Macron said, the “election was not genuine.” He added that democracies are vulnerable since people rely on social media for information.

The French president also referenced the condemnation extended to Romania by US vice president JD Vance for cancelling the elections.

“We must be careful - there is a false narrative being integrated here, that of defending freedom of expression. I also heard this from vice president Vance, with whom I had a very interesting, though cordial, exchange of views in Paris. He said he was shocked by this decision, but I was not shocked at all. [...] What does shock me is that Russia has now stepped in to question Romania’s decision,” Macron said.

The French president is set to meet with US counterpart Donald Trump. During the meeting, Macron said he will tell Trump that one cannot show weakness in front of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Macron called Russia a threat for Europe, especially if the former is allowed to take over the Ukrainian army and the equipment sent to it. He also defended Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump recently called “a dictator” in a controversial post on X.