On May 18, 2025, Telegram founder Pavel Durov made a loud statement accusing French intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner of trying to influence the presidential elections in Romania. In his Telegram channel, Durov reported that in the spring of 2025, in the “Hall of Battles” of the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, Lerner allegedly asked him to block the channels of Romanian conservatives before the vote.

"I refused. We did not block protesters in Russia, Belarus or Iran - and we will not start doing it in Europe," — Durov wrote.

The statement has caused an international stir, especially in light of the victory of pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan in the elections, Reuters, the BBC and the Romanian portal Digi24 reported.

According to Romania’s Central Electoral Commission, after 95,71% of the ballots were counted in the second round of the May 18 elections, Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, won 54,32% of the vote, beating the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unification of Romanians (AUR) party, George Simion, who won 45,68%. Exit polls by CURS and Avangarde had previously shown similar results: 54,1–54,9% for Dan versus 45,1–45,9% for Simion. The turnout was 64,72%, a record high in two decades. Dan’s victory strengthens Romania’s pro-Western course, supporting Ukraine and integration into the EU and NATO.

Durov’s statement was part of a larger context. Romania’s 2025 elections were a rerun after the annulment of the November 2024 results, when ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, who had criticized the EU and NATO, won in the first round with 22,95%. The Constitutional Court overturned the results on December 6, citing “foreign interference” allegedly linked to Russia, and excluded Georgescu from the race. Prosecutors opened a criminal case against him on six counts, including incitement to unconstitutional acts and the creation of a fascist organization. Simion, who supported Georgescu, promised to appoint him prime minister if he won.

The French Foreign Ministry quickly denied Durov's accusations, calling them "absolutely baseless" and "fake." The ministry's statement emphasized that Paris respects democratic processes in Romania and does not interfere in elections. The French authorities also condemned Durov for using the baguette emoji, considering it a provocation.