He shook Romania’s political landscape in November when he secured the first round in the presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister.Calin Georgescu,

Mr Georgescu sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes. He has also been criticised for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as “a man who loves his country” and calling Ukraine “an invented state”.

Romania’s far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu was taken for questioning by police as part of an investigation into his campaign.