Calin Georgescu, running as an independent candidate for president, speaks to the media after registering his bid in the country's presidential elections, in Bucharest, Romania, on October 1, 2024. (AP)

With nearly all ballots tallied, Calin Georgescu is leading the first round of Romania's presidential election, according to the country's central election commission.

On Sunday, presidential elections were held in Romania as part of the country's five-year election cycle.

With 98.7% of the votes counted, Calin Georgescu garnered 22.65% of the vote, while Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu followed with 19.46%.

A runoff is set for December 8. Georgescu's strong performance was surprising, as polls had initially projected much lower support for him.

He is set to face Ciolacu in the runoff in two weeks.

During his campaign, Georgescu used TikTok to promote traditional values, while also praising the Romanian military.

Georgescu described NATO's ballistic missile defense system in Deveselu, Romania, as a "shame of diplomacy." He maintains that the North Atlantic Alliance would not defend its members if they were attacked by Russia.

Under Romanian law, the candidate who secures more than half of the votes from registered voters wins the presidential election. If no candidate achieves this threshold, a runoff is held two weeks later, with the winner determined by a simple majority.

Known for being a NATO critic, it is worth mentioning that earlier this year, construction started on what is set to become the largest NATO base in Europe, located in Romania.

The project came at a hefty price tag of €2.5 billion. The base, once completed, will reportedly enhance NATO's presence in the region.

The project involves the expansion of the Romanian Air Force's 57th Air Base Mihail Kogălniceanu, which will cover an area of 2,800 hectares and have a perimeter of 30 kilometers.

The new base in Constanța County, Romania, will accommodate 10,000 NATO troops and their families. It will reportedly feature various facilities including runways, aircraft hangars, storage units for weapons and fuel, training facilities, educational institutions, medical services, and commercial outlets.

It is important to note that Romania's president holds a semi-executive role, which includes control over defense spending. As such, the new president's criticism of NATO could influence Romania's defense policies, potentially jeopardizing its relations with the alliance.