Romanian Court Orders Presidential Ballot Recount

Romania's Constitutional Court mandated a recount of ballots from the first round of the presidential election. Calin Georgescu, a far-right populist, surprisingly led the first round, surpassing the incumbent prime minister. He will compete against reformist Elena Lasconi in the runoff, despite predictions of minimal voter support.

The Constitutional Court of Romania has instructed the official electoral authority to conduct a recount and thorough verification of all ballots cast during the first round of the presidential election.

Judges in Bucharest voted unanimously in favor of the recount, emphasizing the finality of their decision. The Central Election Bureau is scheduled to convene Thursday afternoon to deliberate on the court's request.

Calin Georgescu, a relatively unknown far-right populist, unexpectedly outperformed the incumbent prime minister in the initial voting round. Georgescu, running as an independent, is set to face off against reformist candidate Elena Lasconi in a runoff scheduled for December 8. Pre-election surveys forecasted Georgescu would capture less than 10 percent of the vote.

(With inputs from agencies.)