62-year-old Georgescu unexpectedly received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election in Romania over the weekend. Georgescu has, among other things, expressed his support for the Romanian fascist movement of the 1930s and 40s, the Iron Guard, and wants to end Romania's military support to Ukraine.
Now, Romania's Prime Minister, pro-European social democrat Marcel Ciolacu, wants Georgescu's Tiktok campaign to be investigated.
It's a system, I don't know how legal it is, that I understand has been used. Where the financing came from, in my opinion, needs to be investigated, "follow the money", he says.
Georgescu's presence on Tiktok is said to have contributed to his electoral success. But exactly how and which accounts influenced the content should be investigated, according to the liberal EU group RE.
We are calling on Tiktok's CEO to come here and assure that his platform did not violate the DSA, says French group leader Valérie Hayer.
The EU law DSA concerns, among other things, issues such as disinformation.
Romania is a warning bell: Radicalization and disinformation can happen all over Europe with harmful consequences, continues Hayer.
In a comment to Politico, a spokesperson from Tiktok says that reports of electoral influence are "incorrect and misleading".
The second round of the Romanian presidential election will be held on December 8.
