Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau has ordered the removal of more than 600 political advertisements from major online platforms in recent weeks, citing various violations related to transparency and authenticity.
In a statement released on the evening of April 15, the Bureau reported that between April 4 and 12, it had taken action against 609 pieces of political content.
Out of those, 149 were traced back to private individuals, while the remainder were linked to “political figures, either candidates or individuals currently holding elected or other official positions.” Violations included the absence of proper campaign labeling and content originating from “accounts whose authenticity could not be verified.”
The Electoral Bureau previously emphasized that if “an ordinary citizen starts systematically posting campaign materials on social media,” they may be reclassified as political actors with the power to influence voters. This status brings with it legal obligations, including a requirement to clearly label such posts.
This wave of enforcement comes as Romania’s social media landscape faces increased scrutiny in the lead-up to repeat presidential elections. Earlier allegations of coordinated influence campaigns on TikTok led to the annulment of the original first-round results, where right-wing candidate Călin Georgescu made an unexpected win.
Current polling suggests that George Simion, leader of the right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians and a joint presidential candidate, would likely come out ahead in the first round if elections were held now.
