Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu and far-right George Simion are the most likely to move on to a run-off on December 8.

Most polls predicted Calin Georgescu to win less than 10% of the vote in the first round of Romania’s presidential election.

Calin Georgescu’s surprise victory means the current pro-West prime minister will not make it to the election runoff.

In what may go down as one of Europe's more stunning election cycles in years, a largely unknown illiberal ultranationalist infused with conspiracy theories won the first round of presidential elections in Romania.

Romania's pro-European Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was leading in the first round of presidential elections Sunday according to exit polls, with the far right not yet assured of a place in the second round,

Calin Georgescu, who has stunned Romania and its European allies by leading the first round of the eastern European country's presidential election, is a far-right, self-styled outsider critical of NATO and of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Romania’s political landscape is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election.

The pro-Russian nationalist candidate Calin Georgescu had racked up a definitive 350,000 vote lead in an upset in Romania's presidential election as counting in the first round wound to a finish Monday.