Romania’s top court threw the country into renewed political turmoil after it ordered a repeat of a presidential election over allegations of Russian meddling, the first such ruling in the nation’s history.

The Constitutional Court in Bucharest annulled last month’s first-round vote, which saw far-right independent Calin Georgescu pull off a shock victory, and scrapped a runoff scheduled for Sunday. The presidential election must be held again in its entirety, the court said.

The decision adds to a roller-coaster election season in Romania, whose unprecedented twists have exposed the vulnerability of a European Union member state that shares the bloc’s longest land border with Ukraine. Georgescu, a figure with a formidable TikTok following who has doled out praise for Vladimir Putin, sprang from obscurity as the victor of the first round, astounding Romania’s ruling political elite.

At question is the Kremlin’s role. Days after Georgescu’s victory, Romania’s Supreme Defense Council, which includes top government and intelligence officials, cited an operation that gave “massive exposure” to a single candidate through a social-media campaign. The panel explicitly cited Russian influence operations seeking to shift public opinion as a factor.

The court on Friday responded after details of the council’s assessment were declassified this week. Prosecutors also started an investigation into a breach of election law and other crimes.

Georgescu lashed out at the ruling as a “sham” and said his legal team was exploring options for appealing it. He compared the accusations against him to those lobbed at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

“No one can stop us,” Georgescu said in a phone call to a local broadcaster late Friday. “Those who fight for the people and have God on their side cannot be stopped.”

The decision was a dramatic about-face four days after the justices had validated the presidential ballot in a unanimous decision, determining that there was no evidence of fraud.

Many feared that an order for a repeat would inflame voters already frustrated by endemic poverty and corruption. The judicial system is viewed by many as beholden to Romania’s power brokers.

Premier lauds decision

The government must now set a new date for an election, giving candidates enough time to campaign. The re-do may involve a new roster of contenders to the country’s highest office.

President Klaus Iohannis, whose term had been slated to end Dec. 21, said he would stay on until the new ballot is held. The new election dates will be determined by the next government, he said, with the parliament set to convene in the coming days.

Iohannis, a former Liberal party leader, would be in position to install a pro-European cabinet as soon as this month after the ruling Social Democrats won the parliamentary election last Sunday.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who had been tipped as Romania’s next president before he was eliminated on Nov. 24, welcomed the court decision as “the only correct” one after the evidence of Russian meddling came forth. His Social Democrats, which have dominated the country’s politics since the fall of communism, reversed their fortunes in the Dec. 1 contest, holding off a surge in support for the far-right to win the most seats.

“The vote of Romanians was significantly misrepresented after Russian intervention,” Ciolacu said after the decision. “At the same time, the ongoing investigations have to show those responsible for the attempt to massively influence the presidential election result.”

But other party leaders expressed disbelief at the court’s move, which came as Romanians living abroad had already begun to cast ballots. Opposition leader Elena Lasconi, who was set to challenge Georgescu in the runoff, said the decision “destroys democracy.”

“We cannot just ignore the vote of the people,” she said. “The court decision is illegal and immoral. Putin already laughs at how Romania handled these elections.”

Romania’s bonds gained after the news, with the yield on 10-year local-currency notes down 19 basis points to 7.21%, the lowest in two weeks. The government’s dollar-denominated notes also rallied, while the benchmark BET stock index jumped 3%, the best performer worldwide.

George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in Sunday’s parliamentary contest, said the latest development was part of an ongoing “coup.” He called on his supporters not to take to the streets.

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(With assistance from Andras Gergely, Peter Laca and Irina Vilcu.)

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