December 7, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 07.12.2024, 19:30

ELECTION Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Saturday announced he held talks with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the two agreed that social media security must be strengthened upon the election in Romania. The talks came after the Romanian Central Election Office had implemented the Friday’s ruling of the country’s Constitutional Court (CCR) on cancelling the entire voting process in the presidential runoffs. According to the head of the Permanent election Authority, Tony Grebla, voting operations have frozen in all polling stations abroad as well as any preparations in the country. Upon the first round of the presidential election on November 24, the runoffs were scheduled for December 8. The voting had already kicked off abroad, where the Romanian nationals were allowed to cast their ballots for three days. In the meantime, the CCR has motivated its decision on cancelling the results of the first round. The magistrates say that after the de-classification of some documents in the country’s Higher Defence Council, they noticed that the entire election process was affected. The court believes the transparent and equitable character of the election campaign has been affected and that the legal regulations on its funding have been ignored. According to the same sources, the candidate who won the first round of the election, the independent Calin Georgescu, benefitted from an aggressive campaign, which violates the national election law through the abusive employment of the social media algorithms and the lack of specific elements of election advertising.

SEARCHES Prosecutors and policemen in Bucharest and other Romanian counties have conducted a series of large-scale search operations on the alleged illegal funding of the election campaign for the independent candidate Calin Georgescu as well as the online behaviour of several citizens active on social networks. The anti-mafia department DIICOT has opened an in-rem criminal file on Calin Georgescu’s campaign regarding the illegal use of IT programmes and the attempt of disturbing the good functioning of IT systems and the attempted illegal access to an IT system. In a communiqué the DIICOT explains these aren’t accusations but the mere framework for evidence gathering and assessment of facts which may lead to a legal and solid resolution.

APPEAL The United States has made an appeal to all the Romanian political parties to ensure the country’s constitutional order and get involved in a peaceful democratic process without violence and intimidation, to reflect the people’s democratic will. The Department of State says in a communiqué that the Romanians are the only ones to express their will not any other country or foreign players. The USA says it was notified by the Constitutional Court ruling over the election in Romania and reiterates its trust in the Romanian institutions and democratic processes including in the investigations concerning any possible interferences in the election process. Parliament parties in Romania have hailed the CCR decision but called for an investigation into any possible interference in the country’s election process. Elena Lasconi, who ranked second in the first round of the election, says the Romanian state stomped on democracy and the election should have been allowed to go on in observance of the peoples’ will. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu has also lashed out at court’s decision, which he described as an officialised coup de etat. Georgescu says that the CCR judges have altered democracy and the country’s legal system is subordinated to the political class.

TENNIS Romania has qualified for the semifinals of the World Table Tennis Cup after winning 8-5 against Germany and losing 8-0 to China in the competition’s second stage in Chengdu. The semifinals and finals will be taking place on Sunday. Romania will be playing China in the semis, while South Korea will be up against Hong Kong. Romania was unable to make it to the competition’s second stage last year.

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