Calin Georgescu, who had been widely dismissed as a fringe candidate, won the most votes on Sunday with 22.9 percent. He will face a more centrist opponent in the second round on Dec. 8.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's political landscape is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister. Calin Georgescu, who ran independently, will face off against reformist Elena Lasconi in a Dec. 8. runoff.

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.

Calin Georgescu, a critic of the EU and Nato, looks set to face the pro-Europe prime minister in the second round.

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

Romania’s presidential election was upended by a nationalist who has voiced admiration for Russia’s Vladimir Putin, setting up a likely runoff with an establishment candidate in one of the country’s biggest upsets since the end of communism.

A little-known, 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,

In Romania’s presidential election, ultra-nationalist candidate Călin Georgescu is leading, with current Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in second place, according to the Central Electoral Bureau of Romania.