Like the local media, the international press notes the shock produced by the winning of the first round of the presidential elections by Călin Georgescu.
France 24: The far-right candidate wins the first round of the presidential elections. The Prime Minister removed from the competition, in a shocking first round of the presidential elections in Romania
In a surprise result of the first round of Romania’s presidential election, an obscure right-wing candidate, Călin Georgescu, came out on top with 22.9 percent of the vote, while Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, favored to win the poll, was eliminated from the race, writes France 24.
DW: Romania is preparing for the second round of elections after the removal of the prime minister from the race
The acting Prime Minister of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, was eliminated from the first round of the country’s presidential elections, with two right-wing candidates entering the second round.
With 99.9% of votes counted on Monday morning, right-wing NATO skeptic Calin Georgescu was leading with 22.9% of the vote.
The ballots cast by Romanians living abroad then propelled the centre-right candidate Elena Lasconi to second place with 19.16%.
Georgescu argued that NATO would not protect any of its members if they were attacked by Russia and called the alliance’s anti-missile defense shield in the Romanian city of Deveselu a “disgrace to diplomacy”.
His move from single-digit ratings to winning Sunday’s first-round election is unprecedented since the fall of communism in Romania in 1989.
“Never in the 34 years of democracy have we seen such an increase,” political commentator Radu Magdin told the Reuters news agency, quoted by DW.
Polish State Television: Călin Georgescu, a critic of NATO, pro-Russian and of Romania’s support for Ukraine, achieves a shock victory in the first round
Georgescu, an independent candidate without any party behind him, considered an outsider, secured first place after the first round, although the polls favored the current left-wing prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu.
Either Lasconi or Ciolacu will face Georgescu in a runoff on December 8, which is likely to have an effect on Romania’s position on Ukraine and relations with Moscow, as the president has influence over foreign policy.
The campaign – which Georgescu ran largely on TikTok – focused heavily on the cost of living, as Romania has the highest proportion of people in the EU at risk of poverty.
Georgescu also promised to end the country’s subservience to the EU and NATO, writes Polish television.
Xinhua: Independent candidate Călin Georgescu is the dominant leader in the presidential elections in Romania, with 22.84% of the votes
Georgescu obtained more than 2 million votes, holding a significant lead of 340,000 votes over his nearest competitor.
Georgescu, often seen as a “dark horse” of these elections (A dark horse is a person who is less known, but who stands out in a competition involving several rivals – n.ed), became visible thanks to his campaign conducted independently. Born in Bucharest on March 26, 1962, he graduated from the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine and holds a doctorate in soil science, Xinhua agency writes.
Al Jazeera: Călin Georgescu takes, in a shocking way, the leadership in the presidential elections in Romania
A right-wing populist known for his opposition to the European Union and NATO has come out on top in Romania’s presidential election, in a shocking result that calls into question the country’s pro-Western outlook.
Running as an independent, Georgescu was largely absent from the media and relied heavily on social media platforms like TikTok to reach voters.
Georgescu, a relatively unknown figure, held a number of positions in the Romanian Ministry of Environment in the 1990s, appeared with a voting intention of only 5% support in pre-election polls, writes Al Jazeera.
