Far-right independent Calin Georgescu shocks Romania with first round election win

Calin Georgescu, a far-right independent candidate, won the first round of Romania's presidential election, surprising many by defeating incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Georgescu received about 22.95% of the vote, while reformist Elena Lasconi followed closely with 19.17%. Georgescu, who has previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, will face Lasconi in a runoff on December 8. This election marks the first time in 35 years that the ruling Social Democratic Party does not have a candidate in the second round. Voter turnout was around 52.5%, with Georgescu performing strongly among the Romanian diaspora. His rise is attributed to his popularity on social media, particularly TikTok, where he has gained significant traction in recent weeks.