AFTER decisively winning the most votes in Romania’s first-round presidential election rerun, far-right candidate George Simion will face a pro-Western reformist in a runoff in two weeks.

The final result of the election could reshape the European Union and Nato member country’s geopolitical direction.

Mr Simion, the leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) and staunch supporter of United States President Donald Trump, won with 40.96 per cent of the vote, according to official electoral data.

Mr Simion, who came fourth in last year's race said: “I am here to restore constitutional order. 

“I want democracy, I want normalcy, and I have a single objective: to give back to the Romanian people what was taken from them and to place at the centre of decision-making the ordinary, honest, dignified people.”

In second place was Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan with 20.99 per cent.

Mr Dan, a mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party in 2016, ran on a pro-EU ticket, told the media early today that “this was a democratic process that Romania needed, this won’t be a debate between individuals, it will be a debate between a pro-Western direction for Romania and an anti-Western one.”

In third place was the governing coalition’s joint candidate, Crin Antonescu, with 20.07 per cent, and behind him Victor Ponta, a former prime minister from 2012-2015, with 13 per cent of the vote, while Elena Lasconi, who came second in last year’s first round ballot, only winning about 2.6 per cent.

The final turnout stood at 9.57 million people — or 53.2 per cent of eligible voters.

Last year’s election was annulled after far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.

The runoff will be held on May 18.