The nationalist candidate George Simion, beaten on Sunday in the second round of the presidential election in Romania, announced on Tuesday May 20, his intention to file an appeal to obtain the cancellation of the election due to“External interference”especially France.
“I officially ask the Constitutional Court to cancel the election”he wrote on the social network X. “For the same reasons” who had caused the cancellation of the November ballot: “External interference”he added, in a message accompanied by the flags of France and Moldova, where a large community of Romanian expatriates lives.
Mr. Simion had shared the allegations published the same day on Sunday by the founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, who accused France of having sought to “Silence conservative voices” in Romania. Mr. Durov subsequently accused the French Directorate of External Security (DGSE) of having put pressure on him during a meeting in Paris to censor accounts or messages on Telegram, without specifying which ones.
Rare denial of the DGSE
These accusations, published on Telegram and X a few hours before closing the polling stations in Romania, were strongly denied by the Quai d'Orsay and, exceptionally, by French external intelligence. The DGSE, which is only very rarely expressed, said “Refuteing allegations with vigor [elle aurait fait] requests to ban accounts related to any electoral process ”. She also declares that if she “Has indeed been obliged, on several occasions in recent years, to come into direct contact with Pavel Durov”it was “To firmly remind him of the responsibilities of his business, and his own, in terms of prevention of terrorist and child pornographic threats”.
These accusations have been largely taken up by the supports of Mr. Simion, as well as by certain far -right personalities, including Elon Musk.
Source: Lemonde