Romania’s pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu knocked out pro-Western Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, once considered a favorite in the presidential race, in Romania’s Sunday presidential election.
With more than 99% of the votes counted, Georgescu is leading by garnering 22.95% of the votes, followed by Elena Lasconi, the center-right mayor of a small town, in second place with 19.17% of the votes, as per a polling site.
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Lasconi, who ran on a pro-European stance, published an Op-Ed on Kyiv Post on Nov. 18 about the need to bolster Europe’s eastern flank defense.
Ciolacu placed third, securing 19.15% of the vote.
Georgescu will likely face Lasconi again for a second round on Dec. 8.
Georgescu’s lead came as a surprise for many, contrasting early polls where he barely registered.
His pro-Russian stance also threatens Romania’s future support for Ukraine, as the president’s seat grants control over defense spending. Romania plays a key role in NATO’s eastern flank defense, with the country currently building the largest NATO military base in Europe.
Georgescu’s campaign heavily utilized TikTok, which is outlined in a report by Expert Forum. One of the most promoted messages in his TikTok campaign was that Romania should stop supporting Ukraine.
Michiel Hilgeman, a Netherlands-based political commentator, attributed Georgescu’s victory to his TikTok campaign.
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“A key factor for this victory has been his successful TikTok campaign. Georgescu did not get a lot of coverage in the mainstream media. This shows the growing importance of social media platforms in elections,” Hilgeman told Kyiv Post.
An article published by Romanian news outlet Ziariștii consolidated some of Georgescu’s past pro-Russian statements.
Romania is also set to hold parliamentary elections on Dec. 1.
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