Pieter Haeck, a POLITICO reporter, dives into the surprising rise of far-right candidate Călin Georgescu, fueled by TikTok's viral reach. He explores allegations of fake accounts and the impact of influencers on Romanian elections, raising questions about democratic integrity. The conversation shifts to TikTok's struggles with EU regulations and its tricky balance between censorship and free speech, while concerns about misinformation swirl. Haeck illustrates how social media's role in politics is reshaping trust in media and influencing geopolitics.