Far-right candidate takes shock lead in Romania presidential poll
Putin-praising candidate Calin Georgescu appears to be on track to make it to the final round of the presidential elections in Romania. Georgescu is leading with 22 percent, followed closely by center-left Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu at 20.6 percent, according to partial results on Sunday.
A far-right populist took the lead in Romania's presidential election Sunday, electoral data showed, and will likely face leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in a runoff in two weeks, an outcome that rocked the country's political landscape.
Calin Georgescu, who ran independently, led the polls with around 22% of the vote, while Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, trailed at 20.6%. Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party, or USR, stood at about 17.4%, and George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, took 14.3%.
After polls closed at 9 pm local time (1900GMT), 9.4 million people — about 52.4% of eligible voters — had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau.
Thirteen candidates ran for the presidency in the European Union and NATO member country, and will go to a second round on Dec. 8. The president serves a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy and judicial appointments.
Georgescu, 62, ran independently and was not widely known. He outperformed most local surveys, sending shockwaves through Romania's political establishment.
Romania will also hold parliamentary elections on Dec. 1 that will determine the country’s next government and prime minister.
(AP)
