Romania's top court has ordered a recount of more than 9.4 million ballots cast in the first round of the country's presidential election.
The decision comes after far-right populist Calin Georgescu took the lead ahead of incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
He beat several well-established candidates with 24 percent of the vote.
Ciolacu's absence marks the first runoff in Romania's post-communist history when the Social Democratic Party did not field a candidate in the final round.
Georgescu was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi, the leader of the center-right Save Romania Union party, in a December 8 runoff.
Over 51 percent of the country voted in the temporarily-defunct first round of proceedings.
Georgescu's TikTok Campaign Under Scrutiny
Romania's Central Election Bureau will now oversee the recount, which comes during widespread protests against Georgescu's divisive rhetoric and concerns over foreign influence in the election.
President Klaus Iohannis' office warned that Romania, as a NATO Eastern Flank country, is a target for "hostile actions" by the Russian Federation.
Georgescu, a 62-year-old independent candidate who used to work for the United Nations, surged to prominence during the campaign with the help of TikTok, where his account gained 5.1 million likes and 450,000 followers.
A report from the Bucharest-based Expert Forum described the spike in his popularity as "sudden and artificial" like his "polling results."
Earlier this week, Romania's National Audiovisual Council asked the European Commission to investigate TikTok's role in the November 24 vote.
Pavel Popescu, vice president of Romania's media regulator Ancom, said that he will seek TikTok's suspension in the country if evidence of manipulation is found.
Georgescu has denied any wrongdoing, insisting his campaign was supported by "a network of Romanian volunteers."
A Victory for Democracy?
The recount was triggered by a complaint from Cristian Terhes, a former presidential candidate from the Romanian National Conservative Party, who received 1 percent of the vote.
However, he took issue with the conduct of Lasconi's party, not Georgescu.
Terhes claimed that Lasconi's party urged people to vote before polling stations closed overseas, which he said constituted illegal campaign activity. He also alleged that votes intended for Ludovic Orban, who dropped out of the race but remained on the ballot, were miscounted as votes for Lasconi.
Terhes' press office called the court's decision "a victory for democracy."
Lasconi criticized the court's decision. "Extremism is fought by voting, not backstage games," she said, adding that what the court "is trying to do now is absolutely horrific for a democratic country."
"They want to ban the right of the Romanian people to speak freely," Georgescu told a local news outlet, adding, that the first presidential election round was "perfectly democratic and legitimate."
'Romania Deserves Better'
Georgescu's unexpected victory has sparked nightly protests.
Critics point to his past praise for Romanian fascist leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin. His campaign has also drawn attention for its stance on foreign policy, particularly its opposition to Romania's support for Ukraine.
A report by Expert Forum noted that Georgescu's TikTok content often emphasized themes of "peace," urging Romania to avoid becoming entangled in the war.
Ciolacu, who narrowly lost to Lasconi by just 2,740 votes, resigned as party leader following his defeat.
"Romania deserves better, not a group of old politicians who use institutions strictly for their personal interest!" Lasconi declared.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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