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.
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