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"There is still work," warned outgoing President Klaus Iohannis. Here after voting, on November 10, 2019 in Bucharest. Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP

On the evening of the first round of presidential elections in Romania, the first exit polls give outgoing head of state Klaus Iohannis largely in the lead.

With our special correspondent in Bucharest, Anastasia Becchio

The first estimates confirmed an expected result : the outgoing head of state comes first in the presidential election in Romania. Klaus Iohannis is credited with 39% of the votes, according to two polls carried out at the end of the polls. Former Social Democrat Prime Minister Viorica Dancila is in second place with 22.5% of the vote.

Figures are still to be taken with caution, but the lead is important. The outgoing pro-European president arrived in the early evening at the headquarters of the Liberal Party, a beautiful villa of the twentieth century surrounded by a small park.

When the results fell, Klaus Iohannis immediately spoke to the applause of his supporters. He spoke of a big step to keep the Social Democrats out of power. " But there is still work, " he warned.

The head of the centrist state has indeed failed to win a majority this Sunday. A second round is planned on November 27th. He should be opposed to Viorica Dancila, in bad shape after being overthrown by Parliament last month.