Election observers in Romania were stunned on Sunday when a little-known right-wing populist emerged as the frontrunner in the country's presidential race, having run a campaign predominantly on his TikTok account.
Calin Georgescu, who did not have the endorsement of any political party, secured nearly 23 percent of the vote, forcing a runoff with Elena Lasconi, the mayor of Câmpulung and leader of the centrist Uniunea Salvați România.
Georgescu, a former employee of the Romanian environmental ministry, has previously voiced criticism against the European Union, NATO, and Bucharest’s support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
The 62-year-old nationalist has drawn condemnation for expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Romania’s Axis-allied government during World War II.
In third place was the country’s socialist Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, whose party suffered its worst electoral outcome since the fall of Romania’s communist regime.
