By EUvsDisinfo
Last week saw a new, yet familiar narrative circulate aimed at discrediting the democratic elections in Romania and stirring mistrust of European institutions. According to a recent disinformation narrative, France’s intelligence services somehow ‘rigged’ Romania’s elections to block hard-right presidential candidate George Simion, all under the watchful eye of a so-called ‘European mafia’.
The story, amplified by pro-Kremlin and fringe platforms, falsely claims that Telegram founder Pavel Durov exposed a plot by French secret services to censor Romanian opposition voices – and that this censorship handed a stolen election to the elites. The tale does not stop there. It uses the idea that ‘the people never decide anything’, an assertion designed to amplify cynicism, ethnic division, and institutional distrust.
Telegram post sparks rumours, not proof
However, here’s what actually happened. Durov did post a message claiming he had been approached by French intelligence officials asking that he ‘ban conservative voices in Romania’ on Telegram, a request he refused. But he provided no evidence, and he did not claim this was about ‘rigging’ the Romanian elections. The French government responded swiftly and unequivocally. The DGSE, France’s foreign intelligence agency, firmly denied the claim, stating that no requests had been made related to any electoral process. Instead, their past contact with Telegram, they clarified, had exclusively been about content tied to terrorism and child protection.
This entire episode is straight out of the Kremlin’s disinformation playbook. It uses classic techniques such as suggestive half-truths, namedropping high-profile individuals, blending real figures with fabricated motives, and sprinkling in xenophobic dog whistles to stir the pot. The ultimate goal? Undermine public trust in democratic elections, delegitimise EU institutions, and deepen political divides between European countries.
Truth twisted, trust targeted
The narrative about Simion’s ‘stolen victory’ fits neatly into a wider trend. Kremlin-aligned sources have previously claimed that the EU orchestrated Romania’s 2024 presidential election annulment and framed the prosecution of presidential candidate Calin Georgescu as Western-backed repression. Now, they’ve added France and Durov into the mix, hoping to lend a fresh coat of credibility to an old lie.
This is not journalism or whistleblowing. This is information warfare – designed to corrode democracy from within. The real threat comes not from European voters, but from those who peddle conspiracy and chaos in their name.
Don’t be deceived.
Also on our disinfo radar this week:
- Pro-Kremlin disinformation has unswervingly continued to push the narrative that Russia holds all the cards while Ukraine is desperate for a ceasefire. This storyline paints Russia as militarily dominant and Ukraine as weak and powerless, despite ongoing Russian losses and stalled advances along the frontlines. The claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fears a deal between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is part of a broader Kremlin effort to portray Ukraine as lacking sovereignty and Western diplomacy as manipulative. As usual, the real aim is to delegitimise Ukraine’s position, mask Russia’s battlefield difficulties, and distract from its refusal to engage seriously in peace efforts.
- Another disinformation narrative falsely claimed that the EU’s rearmament plans would destroy its economy, distorting a Politico article that actually explores how defence spending could drive economic growth. The supposed expert warnings cited do not even come from Politico but from unrelated sources, showing a common Kremlin tactic of misusing legitimate Western voices to spread misleading messages.
- Lastly, there have been classic pro-Kremlin claims that Europe is becoming a dictatorship where freedom of expression is crushed, while falsely asserting that Russia offers more freedom and security. In reality, Russia, ranked 171st out of 180 countries in press freedom by Reporters Without Borders, continues to detain journalists, enforce harsh laws against dissent, and punish individuals for the peaceful expression of dissenting views. This narrative is part of a broader Kremlin strategy to invert facts, drive attention away from Russia’s own harsh censorship laws, and portray Western democracies as oppressive while whitewashing authoritarian abuses at home.
By EUvsDisinfo
