On May 18, 2025, the French Foreign Ministry categorically denied allegations of interference in the Romanian presidential election that took place that day. The statement was a reaction to a post by Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who reported on his channel that an unnamed Western European government, presumably France, had asked him to block the channels of Romanian conservatives before the vote. Durov refused to comply, adding a baguette emoji to his message, which many interpreted as a reference to Paris, RIA Novosti and the Romanian publication Adevărul reported, citing official sources.

"France respects the democratic processes in Romania and does not interfere in the elections of sovereign states," — says a statement from the French Foreign Ministry, published on the department’s official website.

The ministry called Durov's accusations "baseless" and called for "responsible use of information platforms."

In his message, Durov stated:

"I categorically refused. Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels. You cannot "defend democracy" by destroying democracy."

He stressed that the fight against electoral interference should not itself become interference, and expressed support for the Romanian people's right to freedom of speech and fair elections. According to Digi24, conservative Telegram channels such as Patria Română and AUR Oficial played a key role in mobilizing supporters of the far-right Alliance for the Unification of Romanians (AUR) candidate George Simion, who won 41% of the vote in the first round on May 4 and ran in the second round against Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan.