Romania's hard-right candidate Calin Georgescu surprises in presidential election race
Calin Georgescu, a hard-right candidate critical of NATO, is in a close race with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu after the first round of Romania's presidential elections. This result is surprising, as Georgescu had low polling numbers before the election. Georgescu, 62, previously belonged to the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians but left due to concerns over his pro-Russian views. He has made controversial statements about NATO and praised historical figures linked to anti-Semitism. Recent polls showed Georgescu's support rising from under 0.4% in October to 5.4% in November. AUR leader George Simion expressed support for Georgescu, indicating a shift in political dynamics ahead of the second election round.