Former TV anchor turned politician seeks to lead Romania’s major opposition party USR

Campulung Muscel mayor Elena Lasconi, a former TV anchor turned politician, announced her candidacy for the top position in the major Romanian opposition party Save Romania Union (USR) after former party president Catalin Drula resigned amid disappointing results in the European and local elections on June 9.

Lasconi was initially appointed as the flagship candidate for the European Parliament but lost this position after LGBTQ-related remarks. Given the profile of the Romanian voters, her more moderate statements about civil partnership agreements of gay couples as opposed to marriage could serve her well in a possible presidential candidacy.

Elena Lasconi is not the sole candidate for the leading position in the reformist party that lost its position as the largest opposition party in favor of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians.

The mayor of Timisoara, Dominic Fritz, also announced he would run for the top position in the party. However, his legal status (Fritz is not yet a Romanian citizen, although he initiated the procedures to get citizenship) might endanger the registration of the party in the parliamentary elections, according to debates carried out within the party, quoted by G4Media.ro.

Nine candidates lined up for the top position in USR until the evening of June 16, including the mayor of Campulung Muscel, Elena Lasconi, the MP Cristian Seidler, and the activist Radu Hossu, Digi24 reported. Also, one of the candidates is from the diaspora. Timisoara mayor Dominic Fritz is not among the nine.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / George Călin)