Voting begins in Romania for the first round of the Eastern European country's presidential election, amid a surge in inflation and fears over the war in neighbouring Ukraine that could favour a far-right candidate. Social democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is leading a field of 13 hopefuls in the polls, with about 25 percent, followed by far-right leader George Simion on 15 to 19 percent. "We hope that, maybe, by mobilising all of us to go out and vote, we can make a difference, we can achieve the change this country needs," says Andreea Irimie, a teacher, outside a polling station in the capital Bucharest. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES