The British ambassador asks Romania to publicly explain the reasons and evidence for the cancellation of the 2024 presidential elections

Britain’s ambassador to Bucharest, Giles Portman, said Romanian authorities must publicly explain the reasons and evidence behind the cancellation of the December 2024 presidential election. The Constitutional Court ordered the electoral process to be restarted in full after information concerning the fairness and legality of the vote was declassified.

The diplomat said the abrupt change in the result compared with exit-poll estimates, along with the scale of the TikTok campaign, came as a major surprise. He stressed, however, that the public must be informed of the concrete arguments behind the decision.

Asked about Russia’s involvement, Portman said the analysis must be conducted by Romania’s intelligence services and government. He described disinformation as a complex ecosystem, with internal and external sources, whether deliberate or accidental.

In an interview with Digi24, the ambassador described the war in Ukraine as illegal and unprovoked and argued for the need for a lasting peace decided with Kyiv’s involvement. Portman also discussed the threat posed by drones, Black Sea security and Romania’s strategic role in the region.