Far-right candidate leading in Romania's presidential race

With 96.38% of the votes counted, the election results are as follows:

• Călin Georgescu: 22.26% (1,892,483 votes)
• Marcel Ciolacu: 20.13% (1,713,811 votes)
• Elena Lasconi: 18.15% (1,539,505 votes)
• George Simion: 14.12% (1,203,233 votes)
• Nicolae Ciucă: 9.07% (773,033 votes)
• Mircea Geoană: 6.23% (530,307 votes)
• Hunor Kelemen: 4.83% (411,577 votes)
• Cristian Diaconescu: 3.08% (262,571 votes)
• Cristian Terheș: 1.01% (86,134 votes)

The remaining candidates received less than 1% of the vote.

Who is Călin Georgescu?

Călin Georgescu is an extremely religious and nationalist leader. He has advocated for reducing Romania’s dependence on imports, supporting farmers, and increasing domestic food and energy production.

Georgescu has also argued that the European Union and NATO do not adequately represent Romania’s interests, claiming that the Russian war in Ukraine, which borders Romania, is manipulated by American military corporations.

A relatively unknown university professor, Georgescu used TikTok to rally voters around him. He has faced harsh criticism for his previous comments supporting the fascist Legionary movement in Romania during the 20th century.

Romanian presidential election

On Sunday, November 24, the first round of Romania’s presidential election took place.

A total of 19 million voters participated, and 14 candidates ran for the presidency.

Notably, Romanian exit polls showed very different results. Marcel Ciolacu took first place, while liberal candidate Elena Lasconi came second.

The runoff presidential election in Romania will take place on December 8.

Earlier, media outlets reported the potential Russian interference in Romania’s parliamentary and presidential elections.