Romania's leftist PM and far-right leader ahead in presidential race, poll shows

FILE PHOTO: Romania's Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu meets Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, Nov. 13, 2024. Kin Cheung/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the head of an opposition far-right party are in the lead ahead of a presidential election this month and so would face each other in the runoff second round, an opinion poll showed on Thursday.

Conducted by pollster INSCOP, the survey showed 56-year-old Social Democrat leader Ciolacu gaining 25.3% of the vote in the first round on Nov. 24, with George Simion, leader of the Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) placed second with 19.1%.