Telegram CEO Receives Request From French Intelligence To Ban Romanian Election Channels

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has accused France of attempting to interfere in the second round of Romania's presidential election. The French government has strongly denied the allegations. Russia has also expressed doubts about the election results, in which pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan is leading.

French diplomacy calls accusations 'false'

The controversy arose after Durov claimed on Telegram that a Western European government had tried to exert pressure to silence conservative voices in Romania. He later pointed specifically at France. French diplomacy reacted strongly on X (formerly Twitter), labeling his statements as “unfounded disinformation”, accompanied by an image with the text “FAKE” in red capital letters.

Clash between Durov and French intelligence

Durov claims he was personally approached earlier this year by Nicolas Lerner, the head of France’s DGSE intelligence agency. During a meeting at the prestigious Hôtel de Crillon, Lerner allegedly asked him to block conservative accounts on Telegram. Durov says he categorically refused.

The DGSE confirms that there were discussions, but denies that there was a request for election interference. According to the service, it was about combating criminal activities via Telegram, such as drug trafficking, fraud and child abuse.

International responses and disinformation campaigns

The case also caused a stir outside France. Elon Musk shared Durov's post on X with the comment "Wow", which led to additional visibility. Russia, which had previously been critical of the pro-European course of Romania, called the election results “remarkable to say the least”.

At the same time, Romanian authorities reported that disinformation was circulating on social media, especially via Telegram. Fake messages suggested that far-right candidate George Simion had won and that French soldiers were preparing for NATO intervention.

An election full of tensions

Romania’s elections have been turbulent for months. In November, the first round result, won by right-wing nationalist Calin Georgescu, was declared invalid. Now Nicusor Dan, the moderate and pro-European mayor of Bucharest, looks set to win with almost 54 percent of the vote.

Questions & Answers

What does Pavel Durov accuse the French government of?
He claims that France tried to censor conservative voices in Romania via Telegram, just before the presidential elections.

How did France respond to this allegation?
France denied all allegations, calling Durov's report "unfounded" and labelling it "false" on social media.

Does Russia also play a role in the controversy?
Yes, the Kremlin questions the election results and is suspected by Romania of involvement in disinformation campaigns that attempted to undermine the electoral process.