Telegram`s Durov willing to assist in ‘Romanian democracy’

(MENAFN) Telegram founder Pavel Durov has expressed willingness to testify in Romania regarding alleged foreign interference in the country’s recent presidential election. Responding to a post by right-wing candidate George Simion on X (formerly Twitter), Durov stated he was “ready to come and testify if it helps Romanian democracy.”

Simion, who lost the runoff election to pro-EU centrist Nicusor Dan by a margin of 53.6% to 46.4%, has rejected the results, alleging interference by foreign governments and organizations, specifically naming France and Moldova. He has called on Romania’s Constitutional Court to annul the outcome.

Durov’s support added weight to Simion’s claims. He recently accused France’s intelligence chief, Nicolas Lerner, of attempting to pressure him into censoring conservative voices on Telegram ahead of the vote. In response, France’s DGSE denied the allegations, stating their communication with Durov was solely to remind him of his obligations to prevent illegal content like terrorism and child exploitation on the platform.

Durov, a Russian-born tech entrepreneur whose company operates from Dubai, was arrested in France last August on charges related to criminal content allegedly circulated on Telegram. He was later released on €5 million bail and permitted to leave France in March.

This election followed the controversial annulment of the November vote, which saw independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly leading. Authorities claimed the initial vote was tainted by Russian interference, though later reports suggested a domestic political strategy may have inflated Georgescu’s support to split the conservative base. He was barred from contesting the re-run.

Meanwhile, Romania’s Foreign Ministry has again blamed Moscow for meddling in the latest runoff—a charge that Russia has denied, criticizing Romania’s chaotic electoral process and questioning its legitimacy.

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