Romania's PM Marcel Ciolacu leads in presidential election exit polls

Exit polls from Romania's presidential election show Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu leading with 25% of the vote, ahead of centre-right candidate Elena Lasconi at 18%. The election features thirteen candidates, with the top two advancing to a runoff on December 8. Ciolacu, from the Social Democratic Party, has focused on stability and support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict. His main rival, far-right candidate George Simion, trails with 15%, while another hard-right candidate, Calin Georgescu, has 16%. The results do not include votes from Romanians living abroad, who can still impact the outcome. The winner will succeed Klaus Iohannis, the current president, who has held office since 2014.