BUCHAREST: Romania’s constitutional court on Friday canceled the country’s presidential election following allegations of Russian interference in favor of the far-right frontrunner, just two days ahead of the run-off.
Romanian authorities objected after outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round of the election on November 24, a shock result in the EU and NATO member bordering Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the presidency declassified documents detailing allegations against Georgescu and Russia, including “massive” social media promotion and cyber-attacks.
The court said it had unanimously decided “to annul the entire electoral process for the election of the president of Romania... to ensure the correctness and legality of the electoral process.”
“The government will set a new date for the election of the president of Romania,” it added.
Georgescu, a former senior civil servant, had been due to face centrist mayor Elena Lasconi in Sunday’s runoff.
“Today is the moment when the Romanian state has trampled democracy,” Lasconi, a former journalist, 52, said in a video recording, calling the decision “illegal, immoral... crushing the very essence of democracy.”
Fears had been raised that if Georgescu won, the country would join the EU’s far-right bloc and undermine European unity against Russia.
Washington has warned of “serious negative impacts” if Romania — whose strategic importance has increased since Russia invaded Ukraine — turned away from the West.
Outgoing Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu — who lost in the first round of presidential elections — welcomed the court’s decision in a post on Facebook.
It was, he said, “the only correct solution after the declassification of the documents... which show that the result of the Romanians’ vote was blatantly distorted as a result of Russia’s intervention.”
The documents, drawn up for a security council meeting and published Wednesday, the authorities said data had “revealed an aggressive promotional campaign, in violation of electoral legislation, and an exploitation of algorithms to increase the popularity of Calin Georgescu at an accelerated pace.”
Last week authorities slammed “preferential treatment” of Georgescu by TikTok, which the social media platform has denied. It said Thursday it had “no evidence that a coordinated campaign has taken place on our platform to date.”
The European Commission announced however that it had stepped up monitoring of TikTok’s role in the elections.
A separate intelligence services document stated that Romania “is perceived by Moscow’s policy centers as an enemy state.”
Romania is a “target for aggressive Russian hybrid actions, including cyberattacks and hacks and leaks and sabotage,” it added.
Anti-corruption prosecutors on Friday said they have opened an investigation into “illegal operations with computer devices or software.”
Prosecutors are already probing “possible violations of electoral legislation” and “money laundering offenses.”
Georgescu, 62, shot into the limelight with his performance in the first round of voting.
Having praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past, he has recently avoided answering questions about him being pro-Russian.
A critic of the EU and NATO, he says he does not want to leave either group but wants to put Romania “on the world map.”
Like his idol US president-elect Donald Trump, he is opposed to military aid to Ukraine.
While the president’s post is largely ceremonial, the head-of-state has moral authority and influence on Romania’s foreign policy.
The president also designates the prime minister — a key role especially since legislative elections last weekend returned a fragmented parliament.
The governing pro-European Social Democrats won the vote, but far-right parties made strong gains, together securing a third of the ballots.
Since the fall of Communism in 1989, Romania has never seen such a breakthrough by the far right, fueled by mounting anger over soaring inflation and fears over Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine.
George Simion, leader of the far-right AUR party, also slammed Friday’s court ruling, calling it a “state coup in full swing.”
Romania’s top court scraps presidential election
https://arab.news/pppcb
Romania’s top court scraps presidential election
- The court said it had unanimously decided “to annul the entire electoral process for the election of the president of Romania”
- “The government will set a new date for the election of the president of Romania“
Venezuela builds infrastructure in fragile ecosystems
VENEZUELA: A push by Venezuela to attract tourists and boost its flailing economy by building infrastructure including runways and hotels is doing environmental damage to ecologically delicate areas, especially fragile Caribbean coral reefs already threatened by climate change, conservationists, scientists, government sources and locals say.
The government of President Nicolas Maduro, who blames US sanctions for his country’s economic crisis, has called tourism the economy’s “secret weapon.”
The push has so far failed to attract foreign investors, sources say, despite a Tourism Ministry meeting with French businesspeople and public overtures from Maduro to investors as recently as this month.
But the infrastructure effort is already drawing criticism from biologists, activists and locals, with one conservation group alleging at least one major infrastructure project is illegal.
The runway at the main airport serving Los Roques National Park — an archipelago of 45 islands, cays and crystalline waters spread over 550,000 acres in the Caribbean and recognized by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands — was expanded to 1,300 meters this year from 800 meters, allowing larger planes to land.
The extension destroyed coral, mangroves and a nesting beach for the critically endangered Eretmochelys imbricata turtle, covering it with asphalt and rocks, “among other disturbances that will affect the natural resources of the park,” the Venezuelan Ecological Society said in a report.
Maduro, who has also promoted foreign investment in a project to construct 10 hotels on the nearly virgin La Tortuga Island, says his plans respect the environment.
“Important investors from all over are coming, many from the Arab world, many from Turkey, many from Iran, from China, from India, from Brazil to invest in tourism,” he said on state television in November, hailing “the growth of hotels, guesthouses and tourist services across the country.”
Egypt’s El-Sisi discusses Gaza ‘suffering’ on Dublin visit
- El-Sisi praised Dublin’s “courageous positions" in support of the Palestinian cause
DUBLIN: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met his Irish counterpart Michael Higgins and prime minister Simon Harris Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza and boosting bilateral ties.
The two heads of state discussed the Middle East situation, including the political upheaval in Syria, according to a statement from Higgins’s office.
“The outrageous suffering in the absence of a ceasefire in Gaza was the central part of their discussion,” the statement added.
There had also been “agreement on the need to expand international recognition of the Palestinian state,” said Egyptian presidential spokesman Mohamed Al-Shenawy.
Ireland is among several European countries which in May formally recognized the State of Palestine, drawing anger from Israel.
El-Sisi praised Dublin’s “courageous positions in support of the Palestinian cause,” Shenawy added in a statement.
Eight Gazan children and their families, currently in Cairo, will soon be medically evacuated to Ireland, the Irish statement said.
El-Sisi later held a working lunch with Harris, who said before the meeting that he would raise the case of an Irish mother whose children have been kept by their father in Egypt since 2022.
The Dublin visit was the final leg of a European tour by El-Sisi that included stops in Norway and Denmark.
It marked the first trip to Ireland by an Egyptian president since Hosni Mubarak visited in 2006.
Indian state explores strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia in mining, food security
- Kingdom keen on attracting Rajasthani talent in technology, healthcare, engineering
- Saudi Arabia sent the largest delegation to Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit
JAIPUR: The Indian state of Rajasthan is preparing for new collaborations with Saudi Arabia, its industry and commerce minister said, following meetings with the Kingdom’s delegation to the region’s first international investment summit in Jaipur.
India’s largest state by area hosted the first Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit this week to draw foreign cooperation, as it seeks to double its gross domestic product to $350 billion in the next five years.
Representatives from over 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK, Australia, Japan and Russia, were present during the three-day event that concluded on Wednesday.
The Saudi Ministry of Investment, which set up an Invest Saudi pavilion at the forum, brought 16 delegates for prospective cooperation talks with Indian businesses.
“It was the biggest delegation. I must thank the Saudi Arabian government for this initiative,” Rajasthan Industry Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore told Arab News after a meeting with Saudi delegates on Tuesday evening.
“I see the partnership between the two nations growing stronger. As it is very strong politically, I think even in terms of business, we can move much closer … We had a wonderful interaction. They have already begun to show their interest in mining.”
Rajasthan, with its expansive desert landscapes hosting numerous photovoltaic plants, leads India in solar energy production. The state is also the top producer of marble, home to the country’s largest lead mines, and holds rich deposits of copper and rare-earth elements.
“It’s one of the best places to invest in India … There are multiple sectors that Saudi companies could be interested in,” Rathore said.
“We have a lot of land, we have a lot of sun, and we have multiple sectors, including minerals, mining, renewable energy, petrochemical, logistics, infrastructure, education, agro-based products — innumerable (sectors).”
Cooperation in the hospitality industry was also on the table. Rajasthan has nine sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, including Jaipur city, six forts built between the fifth and 18th centuries, and Keoladeo National Park, which hosts thousands of native, resident and migratory birds.
“We have discussed if multiple hotels can be set up because tourism is quite big,” Rathore said. “We also discussed the possibility of a Saudi company investing in a luxury train.”
Abdullah Al-Arfaj, director of international relations for South and West Asia at the Saudi Ministry of Investment, told Arab News after talks with the industry minister that discussions “centered around key areas such as agriculture, food security, mining, healthcare, education, and human resources.”
Cooperation in agriculture would focus on innovative practices and establishing reliable supply chains, while in mining it would “develop Rajasthan’s mineral wealth, utilizing Saudi expertise in mining and resource management,” he said, adding that the Kingdom was also keen on attracting top talent from Rajasthan to the sectors of technology, healthcare and engineering.
“These collaborative areas align with our shared priorities and present significant opportunities for long-term economic and social impact,” Al-Arfaj said.
“We explored opportunities to leverage Rajasthan’s strengths in these sectors while aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals to promote economic diversification and sustainable development.”
Russia vows retaliation after Ukrainian ATACMS strike
- Putin has previously threatened to launch a hypersonic ballistic missile at the center of Kyiv if Ukraine did not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles
- One US official said Wednesday that Russia might soon target Ukraine with another of its new Oreshnik missiles
MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday vowed retribution against Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of firing Western-supplied missiles on a military airfield in its southern Rostov region.
President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened to launch a hypersonic ballistic missile at the center of Kyiv if Ukraine did not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
And one US official said Wednesday that Russia might soon target Ukraine with another of its new Oreshnik missiles.
Hours after Ukraine’s overnight attack, Russia claimed its troops had recaptured territory in its western Kursk region, where Ukraine occupies swathes of territory.
And Putin told Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Kyiv’s “destructive” approach made a peace deal impossible.
Kyiv has been on edge since Russia fired its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile at the city of Dnipro last month in a major escalation of the nearly three-year conflict.
Putin called that retaliation for Kyiv firing US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow long-range missiles against targets on Russian territory.
In the latest attack, Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday that Ukraine fired six ATACMS missiles at a military airfield in Taganrog, a port city in the southern Rostov region.
“Two of the missiles were shot down by the combat crew of the Pantsir air defense system, while the others were deflected by electronic warfare equipment,” the ministry added.
It said no military personnel were hurt but that falling shrapnel “slightly damaged” military vehicles and buildings nearby.
“This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered and appropriate measures will be taken,” it added.
And one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday: “Russia has signalled its intent to launch another experimental Oreshnik missile at Ukraine, potentially in the coming days.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier hailed “tangible blows against Russian targets last night,” which he said would help bring peace closer.
In a post on Telegram he said Ukraine had hit “military facilities on the territory of Russia, as well as facilities of the fuel and energy complex, which is working for aggression against our state and people.”
Ukraine’s general staff earlier claimed it had hit an oil depot in Russia’s Bryansk border region, also in an overnight strike.
Videos purportedly taken in the Bryansk region showed a distant fireball illuminating the night sky over an urban area, while air raid sirens could be heard in footage from the southern Rostov region.
Both sides have ramped up aerial attacks in recent weeks, seeking to boost their positions on the battlefield ahead as ceasefire talks build ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump coming to power next month.
Ukrainian officials said Wednesday the death toll from a Russian missile strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia a day earlier had climbed to nine.
And Russia’s army said it had recaptured two villages in the western Kursk region, where Kyiv has been waging a cross-border offensive since August.
Hungary’s Orban, who met Trump in Florida earlier this week, held a call with Putin on Wednesday to discuss the Ukraine conflict, drawing scorn from Kyiv.
During the call — which was requested by Orban — Putin said that Ukraine had adopted a “destructive” position that ruled out any agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
The Kremlin said Orban had “expressed interest in assisting the joint search for political-diplomatic paths to resolve the crisis.”
Zelensky blasted Orban for talking to the Kremlin leader, saying it risked undermining European unity against Russia.
“No one should boost (their) personal image at the expense of unity, everyone should focus on shared success. Unity in Europe has always been key to achieving it,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus
- The number of migrants arriving at the borders of EU member states from Belarus has increased by 66 percent this year
- The commission monitors EU laws to ensure that they are respected
BRUSSELS: The European Union on Wednesday gave a greenlight to Poland and other countries on Europe’s eastern flank to temporarily suspend asylum rights when they believe that Belarus and Russia are “weaponizing” migrants to destabilize the bloc.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans in October to introduce a law that would suspend asylum applications for up to 60 days as his country struggles with migratory pressures on its border with Belarus, angering human rights groups. The freeze has not yet been enacted.
The number of migrants arriving at the borders of EU member states from Belarus has increased by 66 percent this year, compared with 2023. Belarus authorities are accused of helping migrants to get into Europe, including by supplying them with ladders and other devices, according to the European Commission.
The EU’s executive branch also accuses Russian authorities of “facilitating these movements, given that more than 90 percent of migrants illegally crossing the Polish-Belarusian border have a Russian student or tourist visa.”
It said that “in view of the serious nature of the threat, as well as its persistence,” EU member countries can temporarily suspend a migrant’s request for international protection in exceptional circumstances. Some migrants are accused of attacking border guards.
The commission monitors EU laws to ensure that they are respected. The right for people to seek asylum when they fear for their lives or safety in their home countries is encoded in the bloc’s legislation and international law.
European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen said a freeze on asylum rights should only be used “when the weaponization is posing security threats for member states and exceptional measures are needed.”
Member states would be permitted to restrict a migrant’s access to asylum rights, but only under “very strict conditions and (with)in legal limits,” she said. “So it means that they have to be truly exceptional, temporary, proportionate and for clearly defined cases.”
Virkkunen, who declined to provide details, said the commission is providing 170 million euros ($179 million) to Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and non-EU country Norway to boost their border defenses, including upgrading electronic surveillance equipment, installing mobile detectors, improving telecommunication networks, and countering drones that might be sent into EU airspace.
