The new high representative of the European Union for foreign policy, Kaia Callas, said last night at an event of the publication “Politico” that Russia has learned how to influence elections through new technologies, BTA reports.
„I see the example from Romania, but also from other places, how the Russians have really cracked the code to influence elections,”, Kaya Callas said at the presentation of the ranking of “Politico” of the most influential people in Europe for 2025
In response to a question about how new technologies affect democracy, Callas said she was “really worried”.
„Democracy is based on trust and if you can't trust the election, then how can you trust the result?” she asked.
According to Kaya Callas, the methods by which we today determine which elections are free and fair are already outdated and do not take into account the new technologies used to influence elections.
„I think we have to take this very seriously,” said the EU's new high representative for foreign policy.
In Romania, the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the presidential election, which was won by independent candidate Calin Georgescu, after Romanian intelligence reports showed that the country was the target of “aggressive Russian hybrid attacks” aimed at influencing the propriety of the electoral process.
Giorgescu and the nationalist and sovereignist parties in Romania defined the decision of the Constitutional Court as a “coup d'etat“ and trampling on democracy.