Romania presidential election: Court validates first round results [Video]

BUCHAREST, Romania –

A top Romanian court on Monday validated the first round of a presidential race in which a far-right outsider emerged as the frontrunner, plunging the country into turmoil amid allegations of electoral violations and Russian meddling.

The Constitutional Court’s unanimous decision came after it asked the Central Election Bureau (BEC) to recount and verify all 9.4 million ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election on Nov. 24. BEC approved the request and said that scanned reports were due to be sent in on Dec. 1. The decision is final.

Calin Georgescu, a little-known far-right populist and independent candidate, narrowly won the first round, beating the incumbent prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. Georgescu will face reformist Elena Lasconi, the leader of the Save Romania Union party, in a Dec. 8. runoff. Lasconi beat Ciolacu by just 2,740 votes.

The recount was prompted by a complaint lodged by Cristian Terhes, …