Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu’s surprise first-round victory in the presidential election highlights a dangerous mix of systemic corruption, disenfranchised voters and historical amnesia. With elections looming in 2025, Romania offers lessons on how such a political shockwave could reverberate across Central Europe.

When Romanian far-right politician Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential elections on Sunday, many Romanian and European political commentators were shocked.