EU rejects U.S. accusations of interference in Romania’s elections

The European Union has firmly rejected recent U.S. accusations that it interfered in Romania’s electoral processes, including the controversial annulment of the 2024 presidential election, dismissing claims of censorship and undue pressure on social media platforms as “baseless,” “completely unfounded,” and “absurd.”

The rebuke from Brussels came in response to a 160-page interim report released on 3 February, by the Republican-led U.S. House Judiciary Committee, titled “The Foreign Censorship Threat, Part II: Europe’s Decade-Long Campaign to Censor the Global Internet and How It Harms American Speech.” The document, aligned with allies of the Trump administration, accuses the European Commission of orchestrating a systematic “campaign of censorship” over the past decade. It claims EU institutions have pressured major digital platforms to suppress content – often framed as combating “disinformation” or “hate speech” – in ways that indirectly influence elections across member states, including Romania.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier categorically denied the allegations, emphasizing that “freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe.” He described the report’s claims of Brussels exerting manipulative pressure on platforms or interfering in national elections as “pure nonsense” and “completely unfounded.”

The EU spokesperson highlighted the EU’s strict regulatory framework, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), as one of the world’s most robust tools for protecting citizens from disinformation and manipulation – particularly during election periods – without restricting legitimate speech. He countered that platforms themselves, through algorithmic amplification, often shape public opinion and voter behavior, shifting responsibility away from regulators.

The dispute revives transatlantic tensions over online governance, with U.S. critics viewing EU rules as overly interventionist and a threat to free speech principles enshrined in the First Amendment.

The House report cites non-public documents, including subpoenaed communications, alleging that Commission officials held closed-door meetings with platforms before elections in countries like Romania, Slovakia, the Netherlands, France, Moldova, and Ireland since the DSA’s enforcement in 2023. It specifically references Romania’s 2024 presidential election, where the Constitutional Court annulled the first-round results in December 2024 – citing declassified intelligence on alleged Russian interference via TikTok to boost far-right candidate Călin Georgescu – claiming TikTok found “no evidence” of such a coordinated foreign campaign and suggesting the supposed operation was domestically funded by a rival party.

The report frames this as EU-driven pressure leading to the suppression of populist voices, with the rerun in May 2025 ultimately favouring establishment candidate Nicușor Dan.

This narrative echoes earlier criticisms from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who in his 14 February 2025 speech at the Munich Security Conference described Romania’s annulment as based on “flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors.” Vance portrayed such actions as symptomatic of Europe’s “enemy within” – elites fearful of populist voters – warning that they erode democratic legitimacy and condition transatlantic cooperation on free speech safeguards.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan responded to the U.S. report by clarifying that Romania was not its primary focus and that references to the 2024 vote were “strictly descriptive.” He defended the Constitutional Court’s decision, pointing to the ruling’s evidence of campaign irregularities and bias, while reaffirming reports from NATO, the EU, and the British government on Russian interference in European electoral processes, including Romania’s. Dan stressed Romania’s commitment to democratic values shared with the U.S.

The EU maintains that its regulations target illegal content, systemic risks to civic discourse, and foreign manipulation – not political censorship. Ongoing probes, such as the Commission’s investigation into TikTok’s handling of the 2024 Romanian vote (with TikTok described as “extremely cooperative”), underscore Brussels’ priority on electoral integrity amid hybrid threats.

This exchange highlights deepening divides: The U.S. side sees EU actions as extraterritorial overreach harming global discourse and American innovation, while Europe views them as essential safeguards against disinformation that platforms might otherwise amplify unchecked.

Calin Georgescu (C), a former independent candidate who won the first round of Romania’s annulled 2024 presidential election, waves to supporters as he leaves the Bucharest Court of Appeal after a hearing, Bucharest, Romania, 21 January 2026. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT