Tens of thousands protested in Romania’s capital against a top court’s decision last month to annul the presidential election after an outsider candidate unexpectedly emerged as the frontrunner.

The protest follows the court’s December decision to annul the election just two days before a scheduled runoff. Far-right populist Calin Georgescu had stunned many by winning the first round on November 24,

Romanians took to the streets on Friday in support of fringe pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu, demanding the country’s top court reverse its decision to cancel a presidential ballot in which he was a frontrunner.

Thousands of flag-waving Romanians protested outside parliament on Friday against the annulment of presidential elections, where an obscure far-right candidate had been the front-runner amid claims of Russian interference.

Romania's ruling coalition agreed on Wednesday to rerun a two-round presidential election on May 4 and May 18 and stuck to an original plan to endorse a single candidate, the Liberal Party, one of the three coalition parties,