US Department of State criticizes Romania over cancelled presidential elections in human rights report

The United States Department of State, equivalent to a Foreign Ministry, published a report on the human rights situation in Romania in 2024 on Tuesday, August 12, highlighting the annulment of the first round of last year’s presidential elections. The report notes that the measure was criticized as political interference in the elections and an excessive restriction of political speech.

The report also seems to brush off outside influence as a reason to cancel the elections.

“The Constitutional Court’s decision portrayed the election as having been unduly influenced by a Russian information operation on social media, but independent observers suggested that the social media campaign in question was an organic election activity by a Romanian political party,” the report notes.

According to the document, among the significant human rights issues in Romania in 2024 were credible reports of restrictions on freedom of expression, as well as crimes, acts of violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism.

“Significant human rights issues included credible reports of restrictions on freedom of expression, and crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism. The government took credible steps to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, but in some cases, government actions were insufficient and impunity was a problem,” the US institution said.

Romania's Constitutional Court ruled that the presidential elections, first held in November 2024, should be rerun in May 2025 after declassified documents from the Superior Council for National Defense (or CSAT) revealed that the results had been influenced in favor of far-right pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu through covert online campaigns, foreign interference, and illegal campaign financing. The surprise candidate had climbed to first place, despite being virtually unknown beforehand.

A report by the Venice Commission later underlined that the cancellation was problematic, but Georgescu was banned from running again as well.

The US has criticized Romania for cancelling the elections in the past as well, through