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.