Presidential front-runner and far-right populist Calin Georgescu says Romania's Western alliances remain secure providing they "serve the sovereignty of the country and nothing else."

Romania's far-right presidential frontrunner said on Wednesday he will bar continued Ukrainian grain exports through Romania and further military aid to Kyiv if elected, and that Bucharest is not obliged to stick to NATO's defence spending commitments.

Draganesti, adorned with European flags and a stronghold of the Social Democratic Party, cast 37% of its votes on Sunday for the pro-Russian far-right candidate Calin Georgescu in the first round of the presidential election.

Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu has come out of nowhere to win Romania's presidential election. He will now advance to the runoff on December 8. Who is Georgescu and how did he confound the experts?

Romania’s political scene has introduced Calin Georgescu, a little-known far-right populist, who surprised the nation by leading the first round of the presidential election with 22.95 per cent of the vote.

Far-right outsider sends shockwaves through Europe after surprise first-round win in Sunday's presidential election

A hard-right populist known for his opposition to the European Union and NATO has surged into the lead in Romania’s presidential election in a shock result that throws the country’s pro-Western outlook into doubt.

Romania's far-right presidential frontrunner said on Wednesday he will oppose continued Ukrainian grain exports through Romania and further military aid to Kyiv if elected, and that Bucharest is not obliged to stick to NATO's defence spending commitments.