George Simion did not hold back after fellow ultranationalist C?lin Georgescu was banned from standing in Romania’s presidential election in March. “Those who committed the coup d’état should be skinned alive in the public square for what they did,” he said in a Facebook video. Shortly afterwards a mob of Georgescu supporters descended on the offices of Romania’s electoral commission.

Georgescu seemingly came out of nowhere to win the first round of the presidential election last November, but the result was annulled over campaign finance violations and allegations of Russian interference. Simion stepped into the race, exploiting voter disgust with Romania’s political establishment over corruption and mismanagement.

On Sunday he won a stunning 41 per cent in the first-round replay, double that of Nicu?or Dan, the centrist mayor of Bucharest, and is now the clear favourite to win the presidency in a May 18 run-off.