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Far-right pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu remains the top choice among voters ahead of Romania’s presidential election re-run in May, according to an opinion survey released late on Monday.
The re-run follows the annulment of the original election by Romania’s court, citing allegations of Russian interference in Georgescu’s favor. Documents revealed that Georgescu, a NATO critic who has praised Romania’s 1930s fascist leaders, benefited from an unfair social media campaign allegedly orchestrated by Russia—claims Moscow denies.
Conducted by pollster Avangarde and cited by online news website hotnews.ro, the survey showed Georgescu gaining 38% of the vote in the first round on May 4.
Crin Antonescu, the proposed single candidate of the pro-European coalition government would get 25% of the vote, followed by Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, who said he could run as an independent, who would get 17%.
Elena Lasconi, the leader of opposition centrist Save Romania Union, who had made it into the now-voided second round with Georgescu, would get 6%. The poll surveyed 1,354 people between Jan. 10-16 and has a margin of error of 2.6%.
The re-run election will take place on May 4, with a second round on May 18.
It remains unclear whether Georgescu, who opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against
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More ShortsRussia’s invasion, will be allowed to run for president again. In October of last year, the top court banned another far-right politician from running in a move critics said overstepped court powers.
Romania has the longest land border with Ukraine of any European Union and NATO member state. It has helped export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta, trained Ukrainian fighter pilots and donated a Patriot air defence battery to Kyiv.
With inputs from agencies
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