JD Vance 'owes Romania an apology' as shocking scale of election interference revealed
JD Vance 'owes Romania an apology' after
slamming Romania and Europe as a whole
for supposedly 'abandoning' democracy over the decision to annul a first-round presidential vote over manipulation fears, an expert has said.
In a fiery speech, Vance lashed out at European leaders, saying: 'In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat'.
The VP,
often sent out as Trump's diplomatic attack dog
, mentioned by name the choice to redo presidential elections after a bizarre first round saw a political outsider sweep to victory.
Vance has himself
been accused of advancing Russian narratives
around Ukraine.
Chaos broke out in Romania's capital in March as furious supporters of the far-right populist Calin Georgescu protested the electoral body's decision to bar him from running in the presidential election redo. He won the first round of last year's race before a top court annulled the election.
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Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu speaks after winning the surprise victory which was later annulled
(Image: Getty Images)
The decision to redo the election came after allegations emerged that Russia had run a coordinated online campaign to promote the outsider, who ran as an independent.
Before the November 24 election, Georgescu had polled in single digits and declared he had spent nothing on the campaign.
Moscow has denied that it had meddled in the election. Georgescu, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticized NATO and the EU, is now under criminal investigation.
JD Vance delivers his speech during the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Writing for Bloomberg, columnist Marc Champion said: "When JD Vance blasted Europe for abandoning democracy in February, he singled out Romania over its unprecedented decision to annul a first-round presidential vote that a candidate from the far-right had come from nowhere to win. The US vice president owes this country an apology."
Champion argues that the Romanian elections were clearly being manipulated via social media.
TikTok said it dismantled in December covert influence networks targeting Romanians, removing over 27,000 accounts that posted comments via a 'fake engagement vendor' promoting the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party and Georgescu. It also removed more than 1,100 accounts impersonating presidential candidates of all stripes.
Supporters of Romanian far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu take part in a protest against the Government and the annulement of the second tour of the Romanian presidential elections
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The declassified intel showed other platforms such as Telegram, Facebook and YouTube were also used, though to a lesser extent.
Champion continued: "If, as Vance seemed to suggest in Munich, the judges weren't defending their country, but conspiring with established parties to keep the far right from power, they did a lousy job. George Simion, leader of ultra-nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians party, is favorite to win the first-round vote."
Expert Forum, a Romanian think-tank, said this week that online political campaigning has 'entered a new era, dominated by an industry of political promotion through inauthentic networks.'
'We are witnessing an explosion of masked, coordinated and candidate-friendly content, created with the aim of simulating popular support and influencing public perception,' it said.
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Advertisement 'Are there other traces/DNA carriers of the injured party in my possession? Photos? 'And, not to forget, is there a body/corpse? All no, no no.' He adds: 'You don't have to be a realist like me to predict that the accusations made against me will not hold up and that the investigation will be dropped.' Brueckner — named as a Advertisement He wrote: 'You know, of course, that in Germany you don't have to prove your innocence as a suspect, but that the public prosecutor's office has to prove that you are clearly guilty. 'Even the slightest doubt leads to an acquittal, if there is a court hearing at all.' 9 Portuguese police are searching various sites in and around the resort of Praia da Luz Credit: Dan Charity 9 The locations are around where Brueckner stayed in his car or in camping grounds Credit: Dan Charity Advertisement Brueckner even claims the case against him is built on 'purchased witnesses' and reveals his awareness of his global notoriety. He added: 'Now, my path is paved with misjudgements, so to speak, but from now on the whole world is watching. 'Not even the Braunschweig regional court will now dare to make an obvious misjudgement. 'Even if an attempt is currently being made to create a shocking overall picture of me through purchased witnesses, it is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered with 'yes'.' Advertisement The Police were seen taking fibres by hand while a hole was dug at the site of an apparent tent from around the However, it was unclear whether the search had found anything was found with enough potential value to the case it merited being sent back to Germany for testing. Brueckner had already moved out of his cottage in Praia da Luz when three-year-old Madeleine, from Rothley, Leics, arrived in the resort with Advertisement Those who want to understand how brutal the German justice system is in its attempts to hammer through its own law, even if nothing is true. Christian Brueckner He was living in his car, or In another letter seen by The Sun, Brueckner described how he used his He wrote: 'Do you know that I was a drug dealer at that time in 2007? Investigators know this. 'I bought marijuana in Spain and sold it on beaches in the Algarve. Advertisement 'I was never caught by the police because I followed a few principles. 'If possible, only drive during the day so that my battered hippie bus doesn't attract so much attention, only drive the necessary and most importantly, never provoke the police.' 9 Brueckner has been named as a Madeleine suspect for five years 9 Forensic cops comb scrubland close to where Madeleine vanished aged three from a holiday Credit: Dan Charity Advertisement He added: 'Together with my dog and a lover at the time I enjoyed the 'temporary hippie life'.' The seeming failure of long-shot searches this week to find any traces of Madeleine is the latest in a string of blows for the case. German authorities, who He told this week he Advertisement The pervert was jailed in 2019 for the 2005 rape of an American pensioner just streets from the Ocean Club, where the McCanns stayed in Praia da Luz. In his letters, he whinges he has been framed so he can be scapegoated over the Madeleine case. Key dates in Madeleine McCann's disappearance MADELEINE McCann vanished on May 3, 2007 - and cops believe Brueckner could have been behind her disappearance. Almost 17 years on, no one has been charged in connection. These are the key dates: May 3, 2007 - Kate McCann finds Madeleine missing at 10pm May 14, 2007 - Property developer Robert Murat is named an "arguido" or formal suspect August 31, 2007 - The McCanns launch libel action against Tal e Qual - a newspaper that claimed the couple killed Madeleine September 7, 2007 - Kate and Gerry McCann are made "arguidos" September 9, 2007 - Madeleine's parents return to England with their two-year-old twins October 2, 2007 - Lead detective Goncalo Amaral is taken off the case after criticising British police in a newspaper interview July 21, 2009 - Portuguese police lift the "arguido" status of both Robert Murat and the McCanns May 12, 2011 - On Madeleine's eighth birthday, Scotland Yard launches a review into the case April 25, 2012 - Scotland Yard officers say they believe Madeleine McCann is still alive July 4, 2013 - Two years into a review of the case, Scotland Yard launched its own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance October 24, 2013 - Portuguese police reopen their case after new lines of inquiry are found November 27, 2013 - Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called for British and Portuguese police to work together October 28, 2015 - Scotland Yard reduces the number of officers working on Madeleine's disappearance March 11, 2017 - September 28, 2017 - November 2017 - May 2018 - Another round of funding, thought to be in the region of £150,000 is granted September 2018 - An November 2018 - More funding, thought to be in November 2018 - UK police June 2019 - Another round of funding, June 2019 - Portuguese police are June 2020 - New prime suspect April 2022 - Brueckner formally made an "arguido" May 2023 - Police Brueckner wrote: 'Right from the start they plotted a miscarriage of justice to make me vanish into thin air. And now half the world knows why.' And he adds: 'I am not exaggerating when I say that 80 per cent of what I have heard from the reports is not true. Advertisement 'A large proportion of these lies are clearly being spread by the investigating authorities. "My words are directed at those who are taking this seriously and are not laughing about it. 'Those who want to understand how brutal the German justice system is in its attempts to hammer through its own law , even if nothing is true.' The Sun investigation aired on Channel 4 revealed the existence of computer hard drives which were vital in to persuading investigators of Madeleine's death. Advertisement Our findings placed Brueckner at key Madeleine search point — the And a document puts him at the location where he allegedly said 'she did not scream' as he discussed her with an associate. In the online message where he German investigators last night remained Advertisement 9 The long-shot searches attempting to find any trace of Madeleine did not bring results Credit: Dan Charity
