A far-right independent candidate called Călin Georgescu is leading the race to become Romanias next president. He took a shock lead in the first round of voting by securing 22.9% of the vote, followed by

The Constitutional Court (CCR) has validated the results of the first round of the presidential elections, setting the stage for a second round between Călin Georgescu, the surprise winner of the first round,

Romanian centrist and leftist parties looked to have fended off a surge by the nationalist right in Sunday's parliamentary election, as attention turned to a top court ruling later on Monday on whether to annul the results of a presidential vote.

Romanians cast ballots Sunday in a parliamentary election sandwiched between a two-round presidential race, the first of which has plunged the European Union and NATO member into unprecedented turmoil following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference.

Still reeling from this week's shock developments, Romanians returned to the polls on Sunday to elect their parliament, with the far right tipped to win, potentially heralding a shift in the NATO country's foreign policy.