The Romanian citizens were casting votes on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election amid a surge in inflation and fears over the war in neighbouring Ukraine that could favour far-right leader George Simion.
The vote kicks off two weeks of elections in the poor NATO member country, including a parliamentary vote and a December 8 presidential run-off.
Social democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is leading a field of 13 hopefuls in the polls, with about 25 percent, followed by AUR leader Simion on 15 to 19 percent.
Simion is targeting people like Rodica, a 69-year-old who was among the first to vote in Bucharest's chilly sunshine. The pensioner, who would not give a family name, was afraid of the Ukraine war and wanted "better living conditions and peace".
The stakes are high in the race to replace President Klaus Iohannis, a liberal and staunch Ukraine ally, who has held the largely ceremonial post since 2014.
Romania, which has a 650-kilometre (400-mile) border with Ukraine, has become more important since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022.
The Black Sea nation now plays a "vital strategic role" for NATO -- as it is home to more than 5,000 soldiers -- and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said.
Source: France 24
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
