Telegram founder Pavel Durov today accused France, without naming it directly, of trying to interfere in the presidential election in Romania because it demanded the removal of certain "conservative" messages, a claim the French government has vehemently denied.
In a message posted on the app, Durov (40), a Russian who became a French citizen in 2021, blamed a "Western European government" for the interference, writing "guess which one" and posting a picture of a French baguette.
Durov said that the government "approached Telegram, asking to silence conservative voices in Romania before the start of the second round of the presidential election."
"I firmly refused. Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users, nor will it block their political channels," said Durov, who has been under investigation in France since August for a series of organized crime offenses.
The judiciary blames him for failing to take measures against the spread of crime-related content on the messaging service.
The French Foreign Ministry reacted and condemned the "completely unfounded accusations."
"France categorically rejects these accusations and calls on everyone to act responsibly and respect Romanian democracy," the statement said.
These accusations against France are nothing more than a distraction tactic in the face of real threats of interference directed at Romania. France calls on all Romanian political actors to act responsibly and defend democracy, the French diplomacy added.
Romanians are choosing between far-right Gheorghe Simion and pro-Western reformist Nikusor Dan in the second round of the presidential election today.
The Romanian government today condemned a "campaign of disinformation" on social media, especially Telegram, aimed at "influencing the electoral process" and which "once again bears the hallmarks of Russian interference." The statement was made on the X platform by an unnamed spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly after a message from Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
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