A TikTok Victory

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Romania’s presidential election is heading to a runoff next month after the results of the first round of voting gave the lead to a far-right candidate, an outcome that is rattling the country’s political establishment and raising concerns about its future alignment with NATO and the European Union, Reuters reported.

Results on Monday showed that far-right and pro-Russia candidate Calin Georgescu led the first-round ballot with nearly 23 percent of the vote, while center-right opposition leader Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union (USR) came second with 19.17 percent.

Both candidates outperformed Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the pre-election favorite, who came in third place with 19.15 percent and failed to make the second round. Voter turnout was 52 percent.

Georgescu’s victory sent shockwaves throughout Romania, the newswire wrote: He is known for his critical stance on NATO and pro-Russia rhetoric.

For example, he has questioned NATO’s ability to protect its members and has called the alliance’s missile defense systems in Romania a “shame of diplomacy.” The nationalist and anti-establishment contender has also praised “Russian wisdom.”

Analysts said his campaign – largely driven by TikTok – resonated with voters disillusioned by traditional parties and grappling with inflation and economic hardship, according to Euronews.

Markets reacted negatively to the first-round results, with Romania’s sovereign euro bonds dropping nearly two cents on Monday. Political scientist Cristian Pȋrvulescu told Reuters that the results serve as a wake-up call for establishment parties, saying, “Just imagine, we are in a position where we could have a far-right president.”

Others warned that Georgescu’s potential presidency could shift the country’s pro-Western stance, particularly as Romania prepares for parliamentary elections on Dec. 1.

Romania, which shares a 400-mile border with Ukraine, has been a key ally of the West during the war: Bucharest has provided Kyiv with military aid and enabled grain exports through its Black Sea ports.