Călin Georgescu leads Romania's presidential election in surprising first round results

In Romania's presidential election, ultranationalist Călin Georgescu has unexpectedly surged ahead, leading with 22% of the vote. He is followed closely by center-left Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu at 21.4% and liberal candidate Elena Lasconi at 16.3%. Georgescu's campaign focused on reducing imports and boosting domestic food and energy production. His rise marks a significant shift in the election dynamics, as early polls had favored Lasconi for the runoff. With nearly 90% of precincts reporting, another hard-right candidate, George Simion, trails with 14.6%. The preliminary results may still change as more votes are counted.