Russia launched cyberattacks against Romania trying to influence electoral process, parliamentary committee says
Russia launched cyberattacks “aimed at influencing the fairness of the electoral process” and “the public agenda through the use of artificial intelligence and aggressive online promotion,” according to Mihai Weber, head of the parliamentary committee for the oversight of the Foreign Intelligence Service, or SIE.
The statements were made on Tuesday, December 17, following a meeting between the members of the committee and the leadership of the service. The Social Democratic deputy did not provide additional details about these cyberattacks.
"There were disinformation and propaganda campaigns supporting eurosceptic candidates, who were favored over other competitors. Romania is a target for aggressive hybrid actions also due to its membership in NATO and the EU," added the head of the SIE Oversight Committee, according to HotNews.
SIE is the only Romanian institution that has explicitly mentioned a Russian interference in the presidential elections, which were ultimately annulled by the Constitutional Court. All other documents and agencies only mention a “state actor” as being involved. However, Romania's partners, such as the US, also point at Russia as the culprit.
USR deputy Nicu Fălcoi, a member of the same committee and participating in the same meeting, noted that attempts to influence public opinion were made as early as 2023.
“This was done through false information that appeared and through the creation of all kinds of influence groups, some even on social networks, but not only on social networks. [...] Russia, at this moment, is acting not only in Romania. Romania is currently at the forefront of Russia's actions, but Russia is now acting across Europe, in all European countries," Fălcoi explained.
The USR deputy also stressed that the next Parliament has a crucial mission to identify those who failed to do their job and prevent attempts to influence the Romanian public.
During the meeting, SIE representatives also addressed a recent scandal concerning the head of the service, Gabriel Vlase, who according to multiple sources cited by G4Media, reportedly boarded a plane bound for Abu Dhabi, where he attended the Formula 1 Grand Prix organized in the Emirates in early December. During the meeting, SIE officials said that Vlase was on a mission.
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