Presidential elections in Romania — who is leading

The counting of votes in Romania's presidential election continues. It is known that the ultra-nationalist, pro-Russian candidate Kelin Georgescu is leading, and the head of Romania's leading opposition party, the Union for the Salvation of Citizens, Elena Lasconi, is in second place.

This is stated on the website of the Central Election Commission of Romania.

Elections in Romania

On November 24, Romanian citizens took part in the first round of the presidential election. Unexpectedly, Georgescu took the lead with 22.95% of the vote, contrary to previous forecasts.

On the eve of the election, opinion polls predicted the leadership of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the head of the opposition far-right party AUR, Gheorghe Simion. These candidates were expected to compete for the presidency in the second round.

Elena Laskoni, who is a pro-Western and pro-Ukrainian liberal, is currently in second place. She gained 19.17%. At the same time, Marcela Ciolacu gained 19.15%, and Gheorghe Simiona gained 13.87%.

It is known that Georgescu does not have a clear election program. His manifesto is characterized as populist and vague, with positions that "go beyond the normal discourse". He has previously stated that NATO will not defend any of its members if they are attacked by Russia.

As a reminder, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski has been nominated as a candidate for the presidency of Poland by the ruling Civic Coalition.

Also, political strategist Oleh Posternak said that political teams in Ukraine are already starting to prepare for possible elections, particularly at the local level.