Romania’s top court ordered a vote recount in the first round of the presidential election, it said on Thursday, in a ruling observers said risked tarnishing the credibility of state institutions ahead of two more ballots.

A recount of the votes cast in Sunday's first round of presidential elections in Romania has been ordered by the country's top court following allegations that social media platform TikTok gave "preferential treatment" to the surprise winner,

A top court issued the ruling just days after an ultranationalist outsider unexpectedly won the most votes in the first round of presidential elections held Sunday.

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.

Romanians will vote Sunday in a presidential election that looks likely to pit a far-right nationalist party leader against the leftist prime minister in a runoff in two weeks.

Calin Georgescu, who had been widely dismissed as a fringe candidate, won the most votes on Sunday with 22.9 percent. He will face a more centrist opponent in the second round on Dec. 8.

The surprise far-right winner of the first round of Romania's presidential election has denied he wants to leave NATO and the European Union, appearing to roll back some of his positions amid protests over his victory.

Far-right independent candidate Calin Georgescu led the first round after his TikTok-driven campaign beat the incumbent President.

Constitutional Court to decide on Friday whether to annul first round results following complaints poll subject to foreign interference

A top Romanian court on Thursday asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election, which was won by a far-right outsider candidate,

Romania’s top court order presidential election recount | REUTERS Romania's top court ordered a recount of votes in the first round of the presidential election and the country's top security body warned Romania was a key target for hostile actions from Russia after a shock result in the ballot.