Romania’s Constitutional Court has mandated a full recount of votes from the first round of the presidential election. On Thursday, the court unanimously directed the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to reexamine all valid and invalid ballots following allegations of electoral fraud.
The decision followed a two-hour session addressing a complaint by presidential candidate Cristian Terheș. Terheș accused the CEC of tampering with votes to favor rival candidate Elena Lasconi.
However, a separate fraud complaint by candidate Sebastian Popescu, alleging misconduct by Călin Georgescu, was dismissed by the court.
In addition to the recount, the Constitutional Court has requested the CEC to submit the updated results. A further court session has been scheduled for Friday, November 29, at 2:00 PM. During this session, the court will consider Terheș’s request to annul the first round of the election. Terheș represents the National Conservative Party of Romania.
“All decisions of the Constitutional Court are final,” emphasized the court.
Tony Greblă, Chairperson of the Permanent Electoral Authority, commented on the challenges of the recount during a live broadcast on Digi 24 television. “A recount could be conducted if there is substantial evidence,” he stated, adding that over 9 million ballots currently stored in district court archives would need to be verified. He cautioned that such a process would require considerable time, rather than being completed in mere hours or days.
Romanian law stipulates that if the election results are annulled, a new vote must take place on the second Sunday after the annulment date.
