The Romanian government, in a session held on Thursday, January 16, approved new dates for the first and second rounds of the presidential elections after the previous vote was annulled by the Constitutional Court.
The government adopted two decrees setting May 4 as the date for the first round of presidential elections and local elections in certain administrative-territorial units. If necessary, a runoff for the presidency will take place two weeks later, on May 18.
Government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that Romanians living abroad will have three days to vote. However, on Sunday, May 4, they will not be able to cast their votes after the polling stations close in Romania. On Friday, May 2, the first day of voting, overseas polling stations will open at 7:00 AM local time instead of 12:00 PM, Constantin announced.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that the government would implement measures to prevent social media manipulation in favor of any candidate.
It is worth recalling that, in early December, Romania’s Constitutional Court made an unprecedented decision to restart the presidential election process following a scandal involving Călin Georgescu’s campaign. Georgescu, who unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential elections, was linked to a campaign of foreign interference conducted through TikTok.
