US sends top official to monitor Romanian elections
The administration of US President Donald Trump has sent a senior official to Romania to observe the controversial presidential election scheduled for Sunday, May 4. The Romanian government announced this, Bloomberg reports.
Deputy Chairman of the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) James Trainor has arrived in Romania and will meet with the country's Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on May 3 as part of an election observation mission.
This visit is not unprecedented, as FEC commissioners have previously traveled abroad to observe elections in other countries. Officials have also been invited to consult with foreign governments on democratic processes.
Romania will hold a repeat presidential election after far-right pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu won the first round last year, prompting accusations of Kremlin interference and the annulment of the vote.
Traynor told reporters in Bucharest that last year's ruling by Romania's Supreme Court to annul the election results contained evidence suggesting foreign interference.
Previously, the US administration opposed this decision by the Romanian authorities and supported Georgescu: during a speech at the Munich Conference, Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the annulment of the voting results and denied Russian influence on the elections.
- The first round of presidential elections was held in Romania in November 2024. Georgescu (22.95%) and the pro-European Lasconi (19.17%) advanced to the second round, which was scheduled for December 8.
- However, in December, Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense declassified secret service documents that, among other things, indicated Russian interference in favor of Georgescu. After that, the results of the first round of elections were annulled and a rerun was scheduled.
- On March 9, Romania's CEC banned Georgescu from participating in the repeat presidential election.
- On May 2, far-right candidate Simion, who is the favorite to be elected president of Romania, said that Russia "is not a serious threat to NATO."