Pro-Russia candidate who swears to end Romania’s ‘subservience to EU and Nato’ takes shock lead in country’s presidential election

A pro-Russia nationalist candidate who pledged to end Romania’s “subservience to EU and Nato” has unexpectedly taken the lead in the first round of the country’s presidential elections.

Calin Georgescu is currently positioned to be in the final round of elections, leading with over 22 per cent of the vote with around 99 per cent of votes counted.

In second place is the current centre-left Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu with around 20 per cent and following him is reformist Elena Lasconi, who amassed 18 per cent of the vote.

The far-right candidate ran independently, with his campaign centred around reducing Romania’s reliance on imports, supporting farmers and increasing domestic production on food and energy.

“The 35-years-long economic uncertainty imposed on the Romanian people became uncertainty for the political parties today,” he said after polls closed.

He also claimed that Nato and the EU do not represent Romanian interests and has condemned the Nato ballistic missile defence shield located in Deveselu, Romania, calling it a “shame of diplomacy.”

Georgescu is also an outspoken fan of Putin and has described him as “a man who loves his country.”