Calin Georgescu, who ran independently, will face off against reformist Elena Lasconi in a runoff in two weeks.

A Romanian hard-right NATO critic and centre-right opposition party leader will likely face each other in a Dec. 8 presidential run-off vote, results showed, in an unexpected outcome that threatens Romania's staunchly pro-Ukraine stance.

Romania's political landscape is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in Sunday's presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister.

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.

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

Romania is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election

Electoral data shows a far-right populist leads in Romania’s presidential election and will likely face leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in a runoff in two weeks

A hard-right critic of NATO who has praised Russia is set to face a centre-right opposition leader in a presidential election run-off in Romania that could undermine its pro-Western stance after a shock outcome in the first-round vote.

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.