Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has stated that Bucharest’s “electoral mess” is not worthy of being called a presidential vote.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, has refuted Romania’s claims of Russian meddling in its presidential election’s second round. Zakharova’s Monday statement advised Romanian officials to address their own reputation issues, pointing to the controversial nature of their election.
The diplomat’s response followed accusations by Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrei Tarnea, who alleged “hallmarks of Russian interference” in the election.
Pro-EU centrist Nicusor Dan won Romania’s presidential election on Sunday, defeating conservative and Euroskeptic George Simion, who has blamed France and Moldova for trying to sabotage his campaign.
Zakharova cast doubt on the legitimacy of Romania’s presidential vote, arguing it shouldn’t be considered a genuine election.
“You can’t interfere in something like that – only get entangled in it,” Zakharova posted on Telegram. “They shouldn’t try to drag others into their electoral mess. They should clean it up themselves.”
The election was held after the annulment of the previous vote, where independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu led the first round with 23% of the vote. Romania’s Constitutional Court overturned those results, citing electoral irregularities and allegations of foreign interference, including claims of Russian involvement – allegations denied by Moscow. Georgescu was subsequently banned from participating in the re-run.
Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), has publicly supported Georgescu and appeared with him at a polling station on Sunday. He previously called the annulment of the 2024 election results a “coup d’état” and stated that, if elected, he would consider appointing Georgescu as prime minister.
Simion, who opposes military aid to Kiev and is barred from visiting Ukraine, decisively won the first round on May 4, securing 40% of the vote, while Dan and former Senator Crin Antonescu each received around 20%.
Dan is known as a strong supporter of the EU and NATO, and he has emphasized Romania’s support for Ukraine as vital for national security.
Before Sunday’s runoff, Simion accused Moldova’s pro-EU government of attempting to rig the vote. The two countries have close historical and cultural ties, with roughly 30% of Moldovans holding dual citizenship.
He claimed on Facebook that the country’s voter rolls included 1.7 million fictitious names, many belonging to deceased individuals.
Simion also alleged that voters were being bussed in from Moldova to cast ballots. He had previously accused his opponent, Dan, of violating campaign silence rules by engaging in political activity on the eve of the vote.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated on Sunday that Nicolas Lerner, head of French foreign intelligence, had personally urged him to censor conservative voices on the platform ahead of Romania’s presidential election rerun. The Russian-born entrepreneur said he refused the request.