Romania's unknown extremist candidate, Călin Georgescu, won the first round of elections all thanks to a massive TikTok campaign, raising concerns over foul play and prompting an EU investigation. Vie

Calin Georgescu, the little-known far-right politician, used TikTok to spread his anti-EU, anti-NATO message and win the first round of Romania's presidential election.

“Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian candidate who admires Putin and undermines Ukraine’s legitimacy, would be a dangerous choice for Romania especially with war at our borders,” said Siegfried Muresan, a centre-right member of the European parliament.

Romanian far-right candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election, prompting protests and concerns over foreign interference. Campaign driven by TikTok, support came from young voters and expatriates.

Nobody in Romania saw the presidential election upset coming — not the public, not the pundits — and not the first-round winner, an ultranationalist with a formidable TikTok following who has doled out praise for Vladimir Putin.

The role of Chinese-owned TikTok is under scrutiny following the shock victory of a far-right candidate in Romania’s election.

Calin Georgescu, who has stunned Romania and its European allies by leading the first round of the eastern European country's presidential election, is a far-right, self-styled outsider critical of NATO and of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Calin Georgescu, the far-right figure who shocked Romania by taking the lead in the first round of the country's presidential election, is a pro-Russian, anti-vaxxer radical with a gift for social media.