The Voice News : MOSCOW- The Kremlin on Monday criticized Romania’s presidential election, calling it “strange” and suggesting the disqualification of a pro-Russian candidate last year was politically motivated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Calin Georgescu, a candidate seen as the frontrunner in the 2024 vote, was unjustly removed from the race without proper justification. Romanian authorities disqualified Georgescu over allegations of undisclosed support from Russian influence campaigns. Moscow has denied involvement and accused Romania of acting for political reasons.
In Sunday’s re-run election, pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan defeated far-right nationalist George Simion, a result welcomed in Brussels amid growing concern over the rise of populist movements in Europe.
Separately, Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who holds French and UAE citizenship, alleged that French intelligence pressured him to suppress pro-Simion content on the platform. Peskov commented that interference by European nations in other countries’ affairs was “not news.”
French intelligence services denied Durov’s claims. Durov is currently under investigation in France for alleged misuse of Telegram in organized crime and is banned from leaving the country.