Far-right populist Georgescu shocks Romania by heading into presidential run-off

Romania is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election, beating the incumbent prime minister.

Calin Georgescu, who ran independently, will face reformist Elena Lasconi in a December 8 run-off after most local surveys predicted he would win less than 10 per cent of the vote. Georgescu, 62, was ahead after nearly all ballots were counted with around 22.95 per cent.

According to local media, Georgescu in the past has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a man who loves his country” and called Ukraine “an invented state”. He has also sparked controversy for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes.

Lasconi, of the progressive Save Romania Union party, or USR, followed with 19.17 per cent. She beat by a slim margin incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, who stood at 19.15 per cent.

Lasconi on Monday warned that Romania is now in “a historical confrontation between preserving Romania’s young democracy … and those who want to return Romania to the Russian sphere of influence”.

She added: “Let us be very clear, Calin Georgescu is an open admirer of Vladimir Putin. He is open against Nato and the European Union … He is for Romania’s isolation, which he calls neutrality … And without Nato we are at the mercy of Russia”.