Romania’s far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has protested outside a closed polling station against a top court’s unprecedented decision to annul the first round of the vote in which he emerged as the frontrunner.

Romania’s pro-European parties kicked off talks on Monday for a new government following the shock cancellation of a presidential vote whose first round was won by a fringe Russia-friendly candidate.

Dozens of armed men were arrested on their way to the Romanian capital to take part in protests against the decision to scrap presidential elections because of alleged Russian interference. The frontrunner in the annulled vote,