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- Before Sunday’s first election round, opinion polls had shown Mr. Georgescu, 62, an independent candidate, polling in single digits. But in recent days, his popularity soared after his TikTok campaign calling for a freeze on aid to Ukraine went viral.
- Mr Georgescu was a member of the hard-right opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), which had named him as its choice for prime minister.
- Senior party members said that his pro-Russian and anti-NATO stance damaged the party’s image, following which he left Auer in 2022. Mr Georgescu has expressed doubts over Romania’s membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
- In a 2021 interview, Mr Georgescu called NATO’s ballistic missile defense shield in Devcelu, Romania, a “shame of diplomacy” and said the alliance would not defend any of its members if they were attacked by Russia.
- He has also named Ion Antonescu and Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as national heroes of Romania. Antonescu was Romania’s de facto World War II leader, sentenced to death for his role in the Romanian Genocide. Codreanu was the leader of the Iron Guard – one of Europe’s most violent anti-Jewish movements – before World War II.
- In another public address, Mr Georgescu said Romania was not prepared to handle anything diplomatically and strategically and that its best chance lay with “Russian wisdom”. However, he has refused to say clearly whether he supports Russia.
- Russia said on Monday it did not know much about Mr Georgescu, who is a strong contender to become the EU member’s next president. “I can’t say that we are very familiar with the worldview of this candidate, as far as relations with our country are concerned,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
- In an unexpected result that threatens Romania’s staunchly pro-Ukraine stance, far-right Mr Georgescu may face centre-right contender Elena Lasconi in the December 8 presidential vote. Sunday’s results were one of the biggest surprises since the Romanian Communist elections, in which the leaders of the two largest parties, the left-wing Social Democrats and the centre-right Liberals – who are in a coalition government – ​​were eliminated in the first round.
- Outgoing two-term President Klaus Iohannis, 65, had cemented Romania’s strong pro-Western stance but was accused of not doing enough to fight corruption.
- Romania shares a 650-kilometre (400 mi) border with Ukraine and since Russia invaded Kiev in 2022, it has enabled the export of millions of tons of grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta and military aid. Provided, which also includes a donation of one. Patriot air defense battery.
