Romania's Central Election Bureau has begun a court-ordered recount of all ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election as accusations swirled that surprise winner Calin Georgescu illegally used TikTok to boost his campaign.
The Constitutional Court ordered the recount on November 28 after officials from the Supreme Council of National Defense demanded the authorities take "urgent" steps, saying Georgescu was granted "preferential treatment" by the social media platform. TikTok has denied any wrongdoing.
Georgescu, a pro-Russian far-right independent candidate, scored a surprise victory in the first round of the election on November 24, garnering nearly 23 percent of the vote.
He is set to face off against center-right Elena Lasconi, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist, in the December 8 runoff after both pushed ahead of favored leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Without the backing of a party, Georgescu's campaign relied heavily on TikTok, where his account had 1.6 million likes and where he posted videos of himself attending church, doing judo, running on a track, and speaking on podcasts.
SEE ALSO: How TikTok Fueled The Rise Of Romania's Far-Right Presidential Candidate GeorgescuThe Supreme Defense Council said it had found evidence suggesting that "cyberattacks" had been used to influence the outcome of the election.
Georgescu alleged that state institutions were attempting to deny the will of the people.
Protesters have rallied in Bucharest for several days against Georgescu, with many accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of interfering in Romania's internal affairs.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy.
Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.