Moscow has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of using the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov as a tool to interfere in Romania’s presidential election, following claims that French intelligence pressured the social media platform to silence conservative voices.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged on Saturday that Durov’s prior detention in France was not merely about regulating social media but was instead politically motivated. She claimed it aimed to influence Romania’s election outcome, where conservative EU critic George Simion lost to centrist mayor Nicusor Dan.
“Macron had Durov arrested to sway Romania’s election,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram. “Realizing their preferred candidate couldn’t win fairly, they chose coercion instead.”
Her statement followed revelations from Durov, who earlier accused French authorities of attempting to censor right-leaning Romanian channels on Telegram during the presidential campaign.
According to Durov, the request came from Nicolas Lerner, the head of France’s DGSE intelligence agency. Durov alleged that Lerner approached him to limit conservative political content ahead of the May 2025 runoff election in Romania. France’s Foreign Ministry has denied any such attempt, labeling Durov’s claims as false.
Durov had previously been arrested in August 2024 in France, where he was charged with complicity in criminal activity allegedly carried out by Telegram users. He was released on €5 million bail and allowed to leave the country in March 2025. The Telegram founder has insisted the charges were a political maneuver designed to weaken his resistance to state pressure.
Tensions around Romania’s elections have mounted over the past year. The initial vote in November 2024 was annulled after independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly surged to the lead. Authorities attributed his popularity to alleged Russian interference, a charge Moscow has dismissed.
In the rerun, Simion lost narrowly to Dan, with Simion alleging foreign meddling by France and Moldova, citing irregularities and voter roll manipulation. The Constitutional Court rejected his appeal on Tuesday, affirming the pro-EU candidate’s victory.
Amid rising scrutiny, Durov offered to testify before Romanian authorities, stating he is willing to reveal more about his conversations with French officials if it serves “Romanian democracy.”
The Kremlin earlier ridiculed the legitimacy of Romania’s elections, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova branding the vote “an electoral mess.” Russian officials have compared the process to a fabricated event influenced more by external pressure than democratic norms.