Thousands of Romanians rallied outside the country's top court on Friday to protest against the December cancellation of the presidential election in which a little-known pro-Russian candidate won the first round.

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.

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.

Romania's radical party AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians) is set to hold a large-scale protest for “freedom and democracy” on January 12, marking their opposition to the annulment of the presidential elections by the Romanian Constitutional Court.

Romania’s pro-Putin far-right candidate remains voters’ first choice in an upcoming presidential vote despite allegations of Russia aiding his bid, according to an opinion poll.

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,