The European Union’s sixth most populous country is grappling with a pressing question: how did an unknown far-right leader, running without the backing of any political party, manage to win the first round of the presidential elections?

The surprise first-round victory of political outsider Călin Georgescu in the first round of the presidential elections sent shockwaves throughout Romania and Europe, leading to Valérie Hayer, head of the liberal Renew Europe group,

A Russia-supporting vaccine skeptic who praises his country’s WWII fascist leaders won a shock first-round victory in Romania’s presidential election.

Romania's unknown extremist candidate, Călin Georgescu, won the first round of elections all thanks to a massive TikTok campaign, raising concerns over foul play and prompting a request for an EU investigation.

“Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian candidate who admires Putin and undermines Ukraine’s legitimacy, would be a dangerous choice for Romania especially with war at our borders,” said Siegfried Muresan, a centre-right member of the European parliament.

Chinese-owned app is under mounting pressure to explain how it handled political content ahead of Romanian vote.