Romanian court cancels presidential election in unprecedented political earthquake

The first round of the elections saw a previously unknown far-right nationalist candidate Călin Georgescu top the polls in a shock result.

The Romanian presidential run-off between far-right candidate Calin Georgescu and centrist pro-EU Elena Lasconi is now off, after the Constitutional Court (CCR) cancelled the results of the first round of votes and announced entirely new elections will be held instead.

This dramatic and unprecedented decision comes just as the voting has begun in the diaspora.

"The electoral process for the election of the president of Romania will be resumed in its entirety, with the government required to set a new date for the election of the president of Romania as well as a new calendar program for carrying out the necessary actions," the court said in a statement on Friday.