Romania confirms date, tightens rules for presidential election rerun
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Far-right, pro-Russian politician Calin Georgescu is said to have benefited from a massive social media campaign spearheaded by TikTok, in Romania's earlier presidential vote.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BUCHAREST - Romania's coalition government approved on Jan 16 a re-run of a two-round presidential election on May 4 and May 18 as previously agreed, and tightened campaign rules for big social media platforms including TikTok.
The European Union and Nato state, which borders Ukraine, was plunged into institutional chaos
Officials said Mr Georgescu benefited from a massive social media campaign
Amid suspicions of Russian interference - denied by Moscow - the country's top court annulled the ballot and ordered the government to rerun it in its entirety.
The European Commission in December opened formal proceedings against TikTok
On Jan 16, the government issued a decree saying campaign materials will need to be clearly marked as election content and their sponsors identified.
Social media platforms must take down content which does not follow the rules within five hours of a request from Romanian election officials or risk fines of between 1 per cent and 5 per cent of their turnover.
However, it was unclear how potential fines could be issued against entities not registered in Romania.
Romanian rights groups criticised the government on Jan 16 for failing to consult the public before issuing the decree, warning the new rules did not address real campaign financing issues. REUTERS
