Romania could rerun its presidential election first round, a senior election official said on Friday, after an independent far-right politician came from nowhere to win a shock victory that caused suspicions of interference in the campaign.

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.

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.

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

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,

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.

By Iulian Ernst in Bucharest The latest pre-election poll in Romania shows a potential surge for far-right parties, after far-right candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly beat established politicians in the first round of the presidential election.