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?

A far-right, pro-Putin candidate just secured the most votes in the first round of Romania’s presidential election. It means the populist Călin Georgescu is in with a chance of becoming the new president of the eastern European country – and Romania’s support for Ukraine could therefore be in jeopardy.

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,

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.

Călin Georgescu, who is likely to emerge as the surprise winner of the first round in Romania’s presidential elections, is an environmental expert and politician with strong nationalistic views. Born on March 26,

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.