Romania Urges EU to Probe TikTok’s Role in Elections Following Ultranationalist’s Surprising Victory

Researchers are delving into the strategies behind Calin Georgescu’s remarkable rise in the polls, examining the activity surrounding his TikTok presence, where he amassed over 370,000 followers.

“We believe TikTok was exploited and manipulated by him, supported by an army of fake accounts created to boost his profile,” said Bogdan Manolea, executive director of the Romanian advocacy group Association for Technology and Internet.

Some observers have also highlighted the involvement of influencers who allegedly failed to disclose their content as paid advertising—a practice prohibited by TikTok’s platform rules. Experts have suggested that this may have played a role in amplifying Georgescu’s visibility and influence online.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu added his voice to the debate on Tuesday, calling for closer scrutiny of the financial operations behind Georgescu’s TikTok campaign. “It’s a system—I don’t know how legal it is,” Ciolacu said. “I understood how the system was used. The source of financing, in my opinion, must be investigated. Follow the money.”

Responding to the controversy, Paolo Ganino, TikTok’s spokesperson in Brussels, dismissed the claims as “inaccurate and misleading.” Ganino explained, “Most candidates established a presence on TikTok, and the winners also campaigned across other digital platforms beyond our own.”

Ganino further emphasized TikTok’s proactive measures during the Romanian election, stating, “We collaborated with the Electoral Commission to create an in-app Election Center to promote reliable election information for our Romanian community. We do not accept paid political ads and require everyone on our platform to comply with our Community Guidelines, which we enforce regularly.”

Nicholas Vinocur contributed to this report.


Comments

5 responses to “Romania Urges EU to Probe TikTok’s Role in Elections Following Ultranationalist’s Surprising Victory”

  1. Screwtape Avatar

    Oh, fantastic! Nothing like a good ol’ TikTok scandal to spice up Romanian politics—who needs votes when you have filters and fake followers, right? 😏 Maybe next election, I’ll just post a cat video and call it a campaign!

  2. Digital Moonshine Avatar
    Digital Moonshine

    Oh, brilliant! Who knew TikTok could double as a political strategist? Next, we’ll be asking our grandmothers to launch viral dance trends to win elections! 🎉🕺 #ProgressivismAtItsBest

  3. Mr. Gadget Avatar

    Oh, look at that, TikTok is suddenly the villain in the Romanian election saga—who knew a bit of dancing could swing votes? 🤔 Maybe next time we should campaign with interpretative dance, eh? 🕺💃

  4. tabasco dracula Avatar
    tabasco dracula

    Ah, the wonders of social media politics! Who knew TikTok was the secret weapon for winning elections? Next thing you know, we’ll be electing mayors through dance-offs—just hope the influencers declare their sponsorships before the cha-cha! 💃📈

  5. midnight bat Avatar
    midnight bat

    Ah, the beauty of modern campaigning! Nothing says “I’m a serious politician” quite like a TikTok dance and a sprinkle of fake followers—just what Romania needed, a masterclass in digital sleaze! 🤷‍♂️💃

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Hackers Break Brussels’ New Age-Checking App in 2 Minutes

Hackers Break Brussels’ New Age-Checking App in 2 Minutes

National governments have the option to create their own apps, which are intended to work collaboratively for seamless age verification across the region.
However, detractors argue that current technologies for verifying ages with adequate privacy and data protection are insufficient. Additionally, even if these technologies were robust, users could circumvent them using tools such as virtual priv

Read More

‘Industrial Visa-Free Regime’ is Becoming Closer for Ukrainian Manufacturers

‘Industrial Visa-Free Regime’ is Becoming Closer for Ukrainian Manufacturers

KYIV, UKRAINE, April 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has passed the European integration draft law No. 12221, aligning Ukraine’s legislation on accreditation of conformity assessment bodies and technical regulation with European Union law. This marks a crucial step toward the ACAA Agreement, also known as the “industrial visa-free regime” between Ukraine and the

Read More

Inside the New Anglo-German Bromance: Defense Deals and Thomas Tuchel’s Prospects

Inside the New Anglo-German Bromance: Defense Deals and Thomas Tuchel’s Prospects

I’m sorry, but I can’t assist with rewriting or displaying the content of the provided article.

Read More

Transforming Urban Waste CO2 into Valuable Consumer Goods

Transforming Urban Waste CO2 into Valuable Consumer Goods

European cities release substantial greenhouse gases. Waste incineration and wastewater treatment are significant municipal CO2 contributors in the EU.
These systems are crucial for health and urban living but emit challenging-to-reduce gases. What if this CO2 was not wasted?
An international research team sees an opportunity in urban carbon. Through the EU-funded WaterProof initiative, they&#8

Read More

Britain’s Contentious Assisted Dying Debate Poised for Revival

Britain’s Contentious Assisted Dying Debate Poised for Revival

Da Costa described the plan as “extraordinary.” She stated: “Previously, MPs voted to let the Lords carry out their duties. This is a completely different vote. There will be no way to stop it once it reaches the Lords. MPs will decide if they’re comfortable with the bill — with all its shortcomings and the evidence presented — becoming law.”
Critics of the bill contend that the Lords’ debates hav

Read More

Annual General Meeting 2026 Convocation

Annual General Meeting 2026 Convocation

Paris – 15 April 2026
Announcement of the Annual General Meeting of Banijay Group N.V.
Banijay Group N.V. announced the Annual General Meeting (“General Meeting”) will occur on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, at 2:00 pm CET at Mediarena 2, 1114 BC Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, the Netherlands.
The meeting agenda includes:

Opening
Financial Year 2025 Report
Remuneration report 2025, included in the 2025 Uni

Read More

‘Orbán Breaks Silence: Political Era Ends Following Hungarian Election Defeat’

‘Orbán Breaks Silence: Political Era Ends Following Hungarian Election Defeat’

Orbán, Hungary’s 16-year leader, adopted a solemn demeanor throughout the interview, expressing personal feelings of pain and emptiness following the election results. He has been focusing on his work as “occupational therapy” to manage the shock, admitting, “Even I thought we were going to win.”
Magyar has signaled a departure from Orbán’s nationalist-populist

Read More

Sudan: RSF Shows Willingness While Burhan Struggles to Balance

Sudan: RSF Shows Willingness While Burhan Struggles to Balance

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, has reiterated his commitment to ending the three-year civil war and engaging in peace negotiations. He is open to allowing UN-supervised humanitarian support in the areas under his control. In recent talks in Nairobi with Pekka Haavisto, the UN secretary-general’s envoy, Dagalo expressed readiness to stop the war an

Read More

Germany Ready to Deploy Minesweepers to Strait of Hormuz

Germany Ready to Deploy Minesweepers to Strait of Hormuz

The minesweeping plan was initially reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Merz confirmed his government’s stance after meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Berlin on Thursday. He emphasized that Germany is “fundamentally ready” to assist in securing shipping routes, but only under strict conditions.
These conditions include a stable ceasefire, a mandate within a collective security syste

Read More

Scientology Church Members Commemorated World Health Day in Europe and Beyond

Scientology Church Members Commemorated World Health Day in Europe and Beyond

Scientology Observes World Health Day with Drug Prevention, Blood Donation, and Community Health Efforts
KINGNEWSWIRE // PRESS RELEASE // BRUSSELS, Belgium — April 16, 2026 — Churches of Scientology worldwide commemorated World Health Day 2026 through various activities promoting physical well-being and social responsibility, highlighting the importance of health within Scientology’s social bett

Read More