Calin Georgescu, who has stunned Romania and its European allies by leading the first round of the eastern European country's presidential election, is a far-right, self-styled outsider critical of NATO and of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Calin Georgescu, who had been widely dismissed as a fringe candidate, won the most votes on Sunday with 22.9 percent. He will face a more centrist opponent in the second round on Dec. 8.

Calin Georgescu’s surprise victory means the current pro-West prime minister will not make it to the election runoff.

Calin Georgescu, a Romanian hard-right NATO critic, appeared in a dead heat with leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu after the first round of presidential elections on Sunday, partial tallies showed,

In what may go down as one of Europe's more stunning election cycles in years, a largely unknown illiberal ultranationalist infused with conspiracy theories won the first round of presidential elections in Romania.

An independent candidate with a nationalist background has stunned Romania and alarmed its allies by coming first in the initial round of the presidential elections on Sunday. Calin Georgescu is a 62-year-old expert on sustainable development and agriculture,

Calin Georgescu, the far-right figure who shocked Romania by taking the lead in the first round of the country's presidential election, is a pro-Russian, anti-vaxxer radical with a gift for social media.