This will present a dilemma for millions of Romanians who voted for other candidates.
One option is to rally around the populist social democrat Ciolacu, an establishment figure who will continue Romania’s pro-Western path.
The alternative is to support Georgescu, who promised Romanian sovereignty.
Prime Minister Gheorgescu, who does not belong to any political party, has pledged to end subservience to the European Union and NATO, especially support for Ukraine. He criticized NATO’s ballistic missile shield in Deveselu, Romania.
The final results of this round are expected to be announced later on Monday, when votes from the capital Bucharest and the large Romanian diaspora are counted.
The campaign focused primarily on the soaring cost of living in Romania, which has the EU’s highest number of people at risk of poverty.
Exit polls released Sunday morning showed Ciolacu with a commanding lead, with center-right candidate Elena Lasconi expected to take second place.
However, current tallies place Lasconi in third place with 18%, while George Simion, another nationalist, is in fourth place.
Although the Romanian president has a largely symbolic role, he also has significant influence in areas such as foreign policy.
Voter turnout was 51%, similar to the figure from five years ago.
