After counting more than 95% of the votes, the supporter of union with Russia Calin Georgescu surpasses Prime Minister Marcel Ciolaca in the first round of the presidential elections in Romania, according to data from the Central Electoral Commission.
Preliminary results of the first round of the presidential election show that Georgescu won 22.18% of the votes (1,861,829 voters), the head of the Social Democratic Party, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolaku, is in second place with 20, 29% (1,703,321 voters), the third place occupied by a supporter of anti-Russian policy, leader of the Union for the Salvation of Romania Elena Lasconi with 17.94% of the votes (1,505,403 voters). In fourth place is the opponent of aid to Ukraine, the president of the “Union for the Unification of Romanians”. George Simon with 14.17% (1,189,696 voters), and the former prime minister closes the top five Nicolae Ciuca with 9.13% (766,435 voters).
The second round of the Romanian presidential elections will take place on December 8.
Georgescu’s results surprised observers, since polls gave his chances low. He campaigned on TikTok, defends traditional values, but at the same time glorifies the Romanian army, which sided with Nazi Germany in World War II. He also believes that NATO membership cannot guarantee Romania’s security and advocates an alliance with Russia.
According to Romanian law, the winner of the presidential election is the candidate who obtains more than half of the votes included in the lists. If the votes are less than 50%, a second round of elections will be held in two weeks, in which the one who obtains a simple majority will win, RIA Novosti reminds.