Romanians are preparing to go to the polls in a parliamentary vote that will determine a new government and prime minister to lead the European Union and NATO member country.

Georgescu’s campaign was buoyed by an outsize following on TikTok, propelling him to first place after he’d been trailing in single digits only a week before the Nov. 24 contest. The result upended Romanian politics as voters prepare for a parliamentary election on Sunday. They’ll vote again in a presidential runoff on Dec. 8.

Romania’s Constitutional Court ordered a recount of all the votes in the first round of the presidential election, which was won by a little-known pro-Russian candidate, deepening the political crisis in the country.

Romania on Friday began recounting the votes from last week's dramatic first-round presidential election, amid concerns the ballot might be annulled as authorities pointed to Russia's influence and al

The winner of the first round of the presidential elections in Romania, anti-Western and far-right candidate Călin Georgescu, announced that state institutions are attempting to invalidate the choice of the citizens.

The recount was ordered by Romania's Constitutional Court. Far-right populist Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election and was set to go against centrist Elena Lasconi in a December runoff.