Romanian election: Reformist candidate on track to beat hard-right leader and reach presidential runoff

Romania is on track to buck the global trend of a hard-right pivot with reformist candidate Elena Lasconi forecast to beat nationalist George Simion to reach the final round of the country’s presidential election, early exit polls showed Sunday.
Romania’s current center-left Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is set to come out on top in the first round of the presidential ballot with 25 percent support, followed by Lasconi on 18 percent, according to the exit poll. Simion got 15 percent, behind independent candidate Călin Georgescu, himself a radical nationalist, who scored 16 percent.
The preliminary results could still change as votes come in.
The second round will take place Dec. 8 following Romania’s parliamentary election next Sunday.
This story is being updated.