Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, of the Social Democratic Party is running neck and neck with a pro-Russian candidate in the first round of the presidential election, according to early ballot counts.
Romania’s incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was tied with far-right NATO critic Calin Georgescu, with 90% of votes counted, as the two battled for first place in the country’s presidential elections on Sunday.
Georgescu came in with a razor thin margin of 22% of the vote, while Ciolacu had 21.7%. As neither candidate can achieve an absolute majority, they will have to face off in a runoff vote on December 8.
Ballots from Romania’s sizable diaspora, which have yet to be included in the main tally, meanwhile showed center-right Elena Lasconi leading with 33.4%, with Georgescu second
