Populist Calin Georgescu takes surprise lead in Romania's presidential election

A little-known, far-right populist has taken the lead in Romania’s presidential election and will likely face leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in a runoff in two weeks, an outcome that has rocked the country's political landscape.

With around 93% of the votes counted, independent candidate Calin Georgescu was in the lead with around 22% of the vote, while Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), trailed at 20%.

Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party (USR) stood at around 18%, and George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), took 14.1%.

After polls closed, 9.4 million people - just over 52% of eligible voters - had cast their ballots, according to data from the Permanent Electoral Authority.

Georgescu ran independently and was not widely known. He outperformed most local surveys, sending shockwaves through Romania's political establishment as he ascended to poll position.

After casting his ballot on Sunday, Georgescu said in a post on Facebook that he voted, "For the unjust, for the humiliated, for those who feel they do not matter and actually matter the most … the vote is a prayer for the nation."

According to his website, Georgescu has a doctorate in soil science and held different positions in Romania's environment ministry in the 1990s.

Between 1999 and 2012, he was a representative for Romania on the national committee of the United Nations Environment Program. Georgescu campaigned mostly on TikTok, with some analysts claiming that the pro-Russia, anti-NATO nationalist was likely aided by an interference campaign by the Kremlin.

Ahead of Sunday's vote, many had expected to see George Simion, a vocal supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, face Ciolacu in the second round.

He campaigned for reunification with Moldova, which this year renewed a five-year ban on him entering the country over security concerns, and he is banned for the same reason from neighbouring Ukraine.

As the ballots were still being counted, Simion said he congratulated Georgescu and that he was "very happy that approximately 40% of the votes of Romanians went towards the sovereign option."

Ciolacu said before the first-round vote that one of his biggest goals was "to convince Romanians that it is worth staying at home or returning" to Romania, which has a massive diaspora spread throughout EU countries.

Other candidates included former NATO deputy general secretary Mircea Geoana, who ran independently and obtained about 6% and Nicolae Ciuca, a former army general and head of the centre-right National Liberal Party, which is currently in a tense coalition with the PSD who stood at 9.3%.

Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said Romania's large budget deficit, high inflation and economic slowdown could push more mainstream candidates to shift toward populist stances amid widespread dissatisfaction.

Thirteen candidates ran for the presidency in the EU and NATO member country.

The president serves a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy and judicial appointments.

The second round of the presidential vote will be held 8 December, a week after parliamentary elections.