Romania's presidential election: In the first round, the candidate opposing aid to Ukraine emerged victorious.

Following the results of the first round of the presidential elections in Romania, candidate Kelin Gheorghescu unexpectedly emerged as the leader. He was previously a member of the far-right "Alliance for the Union of Romanians" (AUR) and has voiced criticism against the EU and NATO.

The incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democrats, Marcel Ciolacu, secured second place, having been considered the favorite in the race, reports BBC.

After counting over 99% of the votes, Gheorghescu garnered 22.8%, while Ciolacu received 19.3%. Both candidates will now face each other in the second round, scheduled for December 8.

Initially, the main competitor for Ciolacu was the AUR leader George Simion, who, according to preliminary data, finished in fourth place.

The official results differ from exit polls, which indicated that Gheorghescu was expected to place no higher than third, with 16–17% of the votes.

A total of 13 candidates participated in the elections. To win in the first round, a candidate needed to secure over 50% of the votes.

The current head of government, Ciolacu, referred to politicians dissatisfied with Romania's EU and NATO membership as "political extremists" and stated that they should be "politically isolated."

On the other hand, Kelin Gheorghescu has faced criticism for his pro-Russian statements and his stance on Romania's relations with NATO and the EU.

In 2021, he claimed that the North Atlantic Alliance would not protect any of its members in the event of an attack by Russia, as reported by Reuters.

Gheorghescu has also criticized U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.

The 62-year-old politician primarily conducted his election campaign on TikTok, where he gained popularity.

"After 34 years of hardships, the Romanian people will win these elections for the first time. My party is the Romanian people," Gheorghescu stated.

Background. It is worth noting that at the beginning of October, a Romanian Patriot air defense system arrived in Ukraine. Zelensky expressed gratitude to the country for the assistance provided.