A top Romanian court has asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election.

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A Romanian top court will ask for a vote recount in the first round of the country's presidential election, Digi24 TV reported on Thursday citing court sources, after a shock victory for a far right candidate. A spokesperson at the Constitutional Court declined to confirm or deny the report.

A top Romanian court has asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election

A hard-right critic of NATO who has praised Russia is set to face a centre-right opposition leader in a presidential election run-off in Romania that could undermine its pro-Western stance after a shock outcome in the first-round vote.

Electoral data shows that a far-right populist has taken the lead in Romania’s presidential election and will likely face leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in a runoff in two weeks.

Romania's constitutional court on Thursday ordered a recount of votes cast in the first round of presidential elections after far-right, pro-Russia candidate Calin Georgescu took a surprising lead after polling in the single digits before the vote.