Following his arrest last year, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been under stringent judicial oversight in France, at least until March 13, when he received permission to leave French territory for Dubai. In recent months, he had made conciliatory gestures towards French authorities; however, on Sunday, Durov unexpectedly accused the French intelligence services of meddling in the Romanian elections. He utilised social media X to allege that the French government, specifically Nicolas Lerner, the head of the Directorate General for External Security (DGSE), had pressured him to suppress conservative voices on his platform in Romania in the lead-up to the elections. Unsurprisingly, Paris has rejected the allegations made by Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused. We didn’t block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won’t start doing it in Europe.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) May 18, 2025
In the wake of Durov’s recent posts on X, and various incidents concerning foreign interference in Romania’s electoral process, which reportedly could involve not only France but also Poland, Moldova, and Spain, George Simion, the leader of AUR the conservative candidate who secured the lead in the first round of voting, but ultimately lost to Mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, in the runoff held on May 18, is now challenging the election results at the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR). He cites the same reasons that resulted in the annulment of the elections in December 2024, during which Călin Georgescu was unjustly barred from participating. We have translated George Simion’s petition to the CCR into English, in which he is asking for the cancellation of the elections.
DOCUMENT: George Simion’s request to the Romanian Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) to annul the elections (Source: The Stiripesurse)
Simion's Contest CRR
Simion also emphasises the role of national security agencies, which, according to him, have compromised the electoral process by manipulating voter choices using their influence. Simion has alleged that the electoral fraud was enabled by the Special Telecommunications Service (STS), which used the centralised computer system for tallying results from polling stations. In a recent post on X, Pavel Durov expressed his support for Simion and offered to testify.
I’m ready to come and testify if it helps Romanian democracy. https://t.co/lEq16uKg8b
— Pavel Durov (@durov) May 20, 2025
The alleged involvement of foreign state actors and the influence of major corporations, alongside the alleged purported STS method of electoral fraud in Romania’s elections, constitute the basis of the grave allegations made by the leader of AUR. It is increasingly evident that there are underlying issues at play, and it is not difficult to recognise that Romania is a strategically significant state for foreign Corporations, NATO, and the EU, which appears to be quite reluctant to endorse a non-aligned President in Romania. Prima Pagina News has the story…
IMAGE: A view of electoral posters featuring presidential candidates Nicusor Dan and George Simion, ahead of the second round of the presidential elections, in Bucharest, Romania, May 16, 2025. (Source: REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki)
Prima Pagina News reports…
Pavel Durov, Telegram founder, ready to testify about the Romanian elections
In short
Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram app, has said he is willing to testify before Romania’s Constitutional Court over allegations of foreign interference in the presidential election. He criticised the French government for pressure to censor conservative voices in Romania, while AUR leader George Simion calls for the May 2025 elections to be cancelled. Political controversies continue to intensify, and Durov’s involvement brings new dimensions to the conflict.
En Brief
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has stated that he is willing to testify before the Romanian Constitutional Court regarding allegations of external interference in the presidential elections. He criticised the French government for pressuring to censor conservative voices in Romania, while AUR leader George Simion calls for the annulment of the May 2025 elections. Political controversies continue to escalate, with Durov’s involvement adding new dimensions to this conflict.
Durov offers to testify to support Romanian democracy
French authorities have denied Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging app Telegram, a request to travel to the United States for talks with investment funds, Politico reported on Tuesday. The decision comes as Durov, who was arrested in 2024, is under strict judicial control and is not allowed to leave France without court approval.
On May 12, the Paris prosecutor’s office said, “Such a trip abroad does not appear to be imperative or justified.” Pavel Durov was indicted for illegal activities related to Telegram, accused of failing to combat extremist content on the platform. He was released on bail, with the obligation to report to the police twice a week.
In this context, AUR leader George Simion requested that Durov be heard by the Romanian Constitutional Court, stating that the Telegram founder’s allegations regarding foreign interference in the Romanian elections are serious. Simion announced that he would challenge the results of the presidential elections, citing foreign interference and demanding their annulment.
Pavel Durov responded to Simion’s demands on the X platform, stating: “I am ready to come and testify if it helps Romanian democracy.” This statement came after Durov accused the French government, through the head of the foreign intelligence agency, Nicolas Lerner, of trying to censor conservative voices in Romania ahead of the elections. He stressed that Telegram would not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users and criticised foreign interference in domestic elections.
In addition, Durov referred to pressure on him to facilitate access to user data in France, stressing that the real purpose of the requests was geopolitical, targeting Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. These statements sparked reactions from both French and Romanian authorities, with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denouncing “signs of Russian interference” in the elections.
George Simion also threatened that supporters of the elected president, Nicușor Dan, “will regret” the choice made, emphasising that he recognised his victory to avoid violence. Thus, the context is shaping up with serious accusations and a major dispute surrounding the elections in Romania, and Durov’s willingness to testify could bring new information to this political controversy.
In conclusion
Pavel Durov’s involvement in this political scandal highlights the geopolitical tensions between Romania and France, but also the complexity of international elections, where freedom of expression and foreign interventions are at the center of public discussions.
See more news from Prima Pagina News
READ MORE ROMANIA NEWS AT: 21st CENTURY WIRE ROMANIA FILES
SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV
VISIT OUR TELEGRAM CHANNEL
