Far-right outsider sends shockwaves through Europe after surprise first-round win in Sunday's presidential election

BUCHAREST/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - 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, 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,

Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu has come out of nowhere to win Romania's presidential election. He will now advance to the runoff on December 8. Who is Georgescu and how did he confound the experts?

Romania's political landscape was left shocked after pro-Russia populist Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election. The far-right leader knocked the EU-leaning premier out of the race that will be decided in a December run-off.

Romania is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election

Calin Georgescu, the little-known far-right politician, used TikTok to spread his anti-EU, anti-NATO message and win the first round of Romania's presidential election.

A hard-right critic of NATO who has praised Russia is set to face a centre-right opposition leader in a presidential election run-off in Romania that could undermine its pro-Western stance after a shock outcome in the first-round vote.

Romania’s political landscape is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election.