Brussels – In a continuing international discourse on democracy, Romanian Education Minister Daniel David has responded to recent criticisms from U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance concerning the legitimacy of Romania's elections.

The controversy began during the Munich Security Conference on February 14, when Vance criticized the Romanian Constitutional Court's decision to annul the December 21 presidential elections, which were contested by pro-Russian and ultranationalist candidate Călin Georgescu.

Vance remarked that the annulment was based on 'uncertain suspicions and tremendous pressure from neighbors,' referencing concerns raised by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis regarding potential Russian interference in the electoral process.

This contention was supported by observations related to Georgescu's significant visibility on social media platform TikTok.

Vance further pointed to the European Commission’s scrutiny of the platform for lacking adequate mechanisms to prevent foreign interference in elections.

At the Munich conference, Vance stated, 'Now, as I understand it, the argument was that Russian disinformation had infected the Romanian elections...

But if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with.' This statement has fueled discussions about the resilience of democratic institutions in Romania.

In response, Minister David took to his blog on February 19 to reject Vance's allegations.

He stated, 'I am convinced that the elections were influenced.' Drawing from his academic experience in the United States, David emphasized the significance of context, asserting, 'In the case of our country, a still young democracy, what is little (frail) for a strong democracy like the USA can become much (dangerous) for us.' He highlighted that the European Union, which has a closer understanding of Romania's situation, aligned with this perspective.

David's comments come in the wake of President Iohannis's resignation on February 10, following attempts by far-right parties to initiate parliamentary procedures against him after two earlier failures.

Vance had earlier expressed concern about internal threats to democracy in Europe, stating, 'The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor.

What I worry about is the threat from within,' suggesting parallels between Romania and other European nations.

Elon Musk also contributed to the dialogue, posting on his social network X on February 18, 'Romania deserves its own sovereignty!' This echoed a sentiment from a post on the Inevitable West page, referencing Georgescu's stance on banning the Soros network in Romania.

This statement received notable attention, amassing over nine million views and further spotlighting the ongoing discourse surrounding Romania’s political landscape and sovereignty.

As events continue to unfold, the international ramifications of domestic electoral processes remain a focal point of scrutiny, reflecting broader concerns about foreign influence and democratic integrity in Europe.