Telegram founder Pavel Durov has accused the head of France’s intelligence agency of attempting to meddle in Romania’s democratic process by urging the platform to silence conservative voices ahead of national elections.

In a post published Sunday evening on X (formerly Twitter), Durov claimed that Nicolas Lerner, director of France’s General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), made the request during a private meeting earlier this year at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris.

“This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused,” Durov wrote. “We didn’t block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won’t start doing it in Europe.”

Durov’s claims surfaced just hours after centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan defeated a far-right nationalist candidate in Romania’s presidential race — an upset in a campaign that had drawn comparisons to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s political style.

Earlier on Sunday, Durov had hinted at possible foreign interference in a cryptic Telegram post featuring only a baguette emoji — widely interpreted as a reference to France — but had stopped short of naming anyone directly until his follow-up message on X.

The French government swiftly rejected the accusation. In a statement issued late Sunday, France’s foreign ministry called Durov’s claims “completely unfounded” and urged “respect for Romania’s democratic process.”

The allegation has reignited debate about the role of digital platforms in political discourse, particularly as Europe prepares for a series of high-stakes elections. Telegram, often lauded for its encryption and hands-off moderation, has been at the centre of global controversies around free speech, misinformation, and state pressure.

As of Monday morning, Romanian electoral authorities and government officials had not issued public responses to Durov’s allegations.