Romania’s top court validated the outcome of a key presidential vote, approving the candidacy of a pro-Russian candidate for a runoff with high geopolitical stakes for the nation on NATO’s eastern flank.

Despite the center-left victory, the strong showing of the far right is significant ahead of the presidency vote on Dec. 8.

Pro-Western parties have won the most votes in Romania’s parliamentary election and will look to form a coalition government as the European Union country faces a surge of support for far-right nation

Romanian centrist and leftist parties looked to have fended off a surge by the nationalist right in Sunday's parliamentary election, as attention turned to a top court ruling later on Monday on whether to annul the results of a presidential vote.

Romania's ruling center-left Social Democrats were poised to secure the most votes in Sunday's parliamentary election, according to preliminary results published Monday.

The leftist Social Democratic Party topped the polls in Sunday's vote and the far-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians came in second.

Romania's Constitutional Court on Monday validated the shock first-round result in its presidential election, setting the stage for a run-off vote on Dec. 8 that could upend the country's pro-Western orientation and erode backing for Ukraine.

Romania's ruling Social Democrats (PSD) were leading in Sunday's parliamentary elections, but the far right secured big gains, exit polling found, deepening uncertainty in a country rocked by political chaos.