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

Geert Wilders, an anti-immigrant right-wing politicians, came in first in the Netherlands’ national election last December, not long after a politician once photographed wearing a Nazi armband won Italy’s election. And the far right in France posted stronger-than-expected results in the country’s surprise elections this summer.

Nicolae Ciucă, the Liberal candidate in the presidential elections, resigned from the helm of the National Liberal Party (PNL) on Monday, November 25, after a very low score in the first election round.

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 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.

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

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.

Calin Georgescu, a prominent critic of NATO and Romania's support for Ukraine, has taken the lead in the presidential election.