Far-right populist Calin Georgescu advances to runoff in Romania's presidential election

A little-known far-right populist, Calin Georgescu, has advanced to the runoff of Romania's presidential election after securing about 22.95% of the vote. He outperformed incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who received 19.15%. Georgescu will face reformist candidate Elena Lasconi, who garnered 19.17%. This marks the first time in 35 years that the Social Democratic Party will not have a candidate in the second round, reflecting a shift in voter sentiment. The runoff is scheduled for December 8. Georgescu's rise is notable given that polls had predicted he would receive less than 10% of the vote. Romania will also hold parliamentary elections on December 1.