After polling stations closed, 9.4 million people, or just over 52% of eligible voters, had voted, according to data from the Permanent Electoral Authority.
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Dramatic twist in Romania. A little-known far-right populist candidate has come out on top in Romania's presidential election and will likely face left-wing Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in a runoff in two weeks, a result that has upended the political landscape of the country.
With around 93% of the votes counted, independent candidate Calin Georgescu was in the lead with around 22% of the vote, while Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) finished in second place with 20% of the vote.
Elena Lasconi, of the Save Romania Union (USR) party, received around 18% of the vote and George Simion, the leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), a far-right party, 14.1%. .
First round winner Calin Georgescu ran independently and was not well known. He performed better than most local polls, sending shockwaves through Romania's political establishment as he rose to the top of the polls.
After casting his ballot on Sunday, Mr. Georgescu said in a Facebook post that he had voted “for the unjust, for the humiliated, for those who think they do not matter and who do the most… the vote is a prayer for the nation.”
According to his website, Mr. Georgescu holds a doctorate in pedology, a branch of soil science, and held various positions in the Romanian Ministry of the Environment in the 1990s.
Between 1999 and 2012, he represented Romania in the national committee of the United Nations Environment Program.
Before Sunday's vote, many expected George Simion, a staunch supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, to face Prime Minister Ciolacu in a runoff.
George Simion campaigned for reunification with Moldova, which this year renewed a five-year ban on him entering the country for security reasons, and he is banned for the same reason from entering Ukraine neighbor.
While the ballots were still being counted, Mr Simion said he congratulated Mr Georgescu and was “very happy that around 40% of the Romanians' votes went for the sovereign option.”
Before the first round, the left-wing prime minister declared that one of his main objectives was to “convince Romanians that it was worth staying at home or returning” in Romania, where a massive diaspora is spread across all EU countries.
Other candidates included former NATO deputy secretary general Mircea Geoana, who ran independently and received about 6 percent, and Nicolae Ciuca, a former army general and leader of the National Liberal Party of center-right, which currently forms a tense coalition with the PSD, and which obtained 9.3%.
Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, said Romania's large budget deficit, high inflation and economic slowdown could push more mainstream candidates to adopt populist positions amid widespread discontent.
Thirteen candidates ran for president of this country, a member of the European Union and NATO.
According to the Romanian constitution, the president of the republic is elected for a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy and judicial appointments.
The second round of the presidential election will take place on December 8, a week after the legislative elections.
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