BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the U.S. health department, will be in Romania next week to meet Calin Georgescu, the surprise far-right winner in the first round of a presidential election, a Romanian television station said.
Georgescu finished first in last Sunday’s vote, and secured a place in a run-off scheduled for Dec. 8, in a win that could upend politics in Romania and undermine its pro-Western stance.
However, the election result has been challenged at Romania’s top court, which ordered a recount of all the votes cast last Sunday. The court will decide on Monday whether to annul the first round. Romania also holds a parliamentary election on Sunday.
Kennedy will be in Bucharest next week to launch his book on the coronavirus pandemic, with a preface written by Georgescu, private television station Realitatea said in a statement. Kennedy is an environmentalist who has spread misinformation about vaccines.
“Realitatea is a media partner of the year-end meeting between the future Health Secretary in Donald Trump’s government and the surprise winner of the presidential vote,” Realitatea said in a statement. It added the televised discussion will take place on Dec. 5.
A spokesperson for Kennedy, and representatives of Republican Trump’s transition team, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Georgescu told Realitatea earlier this week that Kennedy might come to Bucharest.
On Saturday, his communications team neither denied nor confirmed the meeting.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Additional reporting by Tim Reid in West Palm Beach, Florida.; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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