Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk on Thursday delivered strong criticisms of Romania’s decision to cancel its presidential election in December. Vance argued that the move showed Romania does not share American values, while Musk called the chief judge of the country’s top court a tyrant.
Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the election before the second round of voting, citing declassified security documents that allegedly indicated Russian interference in favor of “far-right” NATO critic Calin Georgescu—claims denied by Moscow. Speaking at the opening of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vance warned that democratic alliances depend on shared principles.
“You don’t have shared values if you cancel elections because you don’t like the result, and that happened in Romania,” he said. “If you’re so afraid of your own people that you silence them and shut them up.” He urged European allies to uphold democracy and free expression, stating that these are essential for maintaining strong transatlantic partnerships.
Last week, at the Munich Security Conference, Vance had already raised concerns about the election’s cancellation, framing it as an example of European governments suppressing free speech and political opposition.
Musk also weighed in on Thursday, sharing a post on his X social media platform regarding Romanian top court chief judge Marian Enache. The post claimed Enache had resisted U.S. pressure over whether Georgescu would be allowed to run in the rescheduled May election. Musk responded bluntly: “This guy is a tyrant, not a judge.”
Enache, on Wednesday, denounced threats from Georgescu, who warned that Constitutional Court judges could face high treason charges if he is elected. Despite the controversy, Georgescu remains the leading candidate in opinion polls.
