Romanian elections: Mystery candidate shakes political system using TikTok
Unknown candidate with pro-russian views wins first round of Romanian presidential elections using TikTok-based campaign. Constitutional court orders first-ever vote recount as political system faces major shift
In a mind-blowing turn of events last month Calin Georgescu an unknown candidate won Romanias first round presidential elections with twenty-three percent of votes (using TikTok as his main campaign platform)
The victory shocked many since Romania – having EUʼs biggest TikTok user-base with about half of its population on the platform‚ didnt see this coming. The Chinese-owned apps algorithm-driven campaign caught both local authorities and EU leadership off-guard; Brussels now wants answers
Georgescuʼs political views raised eye-brows: he often shows respect for Vladimir Putin calling him a “patriot“ and copies his style – riding horses practicing martial arts and swimming in cold water. His anti-NATO stance is clear:
Why remain in a club that doesnt provide security for your country
The elections first round brought more surprises: Elena Lasconi a small-town mayor beat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu by just few thousand votes. This made the establishment nervous – courts ordered first vote recount since communist times
The Dec-1 parliament elections showed growing far-right movement:
- SOS Romania
- Young Peoples Party
- Alliance for Union of Romanians
These groups now hold one-third of parliament seats
Security concerns grew after Supreme Defense Council found proof of cyber-attacks and foreign influence. They pointed at TikToks strange behavior and Russian involvement without naming names
Georgescu got strong support from people tired of old politics‚ including forty-three percent of votes from Romanians living in Western Europe. The Dec-8 runoff between him and pro-EU Lasconi will decide if country moves East or stays West-aligned
