Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu leads after first round of voting
Calin Georgescu, a critic of NATO and Romania's support for Ukraine, has taken the lead in the presidential election. With 22.95% of the vote counted, he is ahead of Elena-Valerica Lasconi and Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, both around 19%. The first round of voting occurred on November 24, and the second round is scheduled for December 8. Georgescu's rise in the polls is notable, as he was previously expected to receive only 5% of the vote. Georgescu, who has a significant following on TikTok, has called for an end to Romania's support for Ukraine and criticized NATO's presence in the country. He previously left the right-wing AUR party due to disagreements over his views.