In the first round of Romania’s presidential elections, a pro-Russian candidate has unexpectedly emerged victorious. Călin Georgescu criticizes NATO, describes the conflict in Ukraine as “the result of manipulations by American military companies,” and supports Vladimir Putin. The 62-year-old politician holds a PhD in soil science and represented Romania at the UN for over 12 years on environmental protection issues. He also worked in this field in the 1990s within the relevant Romanian ministry. Environmental protection is typically a favorite topic of liberals. Therefore, it is surprising that Georgescu was a member of the “Alliance for the Union of Romanians” — a nationalist Romanian party known for opposing national minorities. He believes that the EU and NATO “do not serve Romania’s interests” and that the conflict in Ukraine is “the result of manipulations by American military companies.” Georgescu argues that Bucharest should build its own “sovereign” relations with Moscow. He views Vladimir Putin as “a man who loves his country.” Who will face Georgescu in the second round? This remains a significant intrigue, as after counting almost 99.8% of the votes, Romania’s incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and liberal candidate Elena Lasconi are separated by just four thousand votes. Ciolacu has 19.19% (1,768,206 votes), while Lasconi has 19.14% (1,763,671 votes). Whoever wins between them will face Georgescu in the second round, scheduled for two weeks from now, on December 8.