Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan to launch donation website for presidential campaign

Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan has reaffirmed his commitment to running in the upcoming Romanian presidential elections, revealing plans to launch a donation website for his campaign in the near future. Speaking during an interview on Digi24, Dan estimated his campaign budget to be between EUR 2-3 million.

The mayor also emphasized that his decision to enter the race was backed by polling data showing sufficient public support and recognition, News.ro reported.

"If the survey had shown my voter intention at just 3% or 4%, I wouldn't have made this announcement. If public trust or notoriety hadn't been high enough, I wouldn't have entered the race," he said.

Dan expressed confidence in the accuracy of his polling, citing past successes during Bucharest's local elections.

"I trust surveys, and the ones I conducted for the local elections were extremely accurate and aligned with the final results," he stated.

Nicușor Dan also discussed campaign funding, mentioning that he plans to launch a donation platform soon.

"During the local elections, I borrowed some funds reimbursed by the state, including EUR 100,000 from the USR (Save Romania Union), while the rest came from individual donations. Now, with a larger audience interested in national elections for president of Romania, I'm optimistic that I'll raise the money," he said.

Regarding support from the USR, Dan confirmed he is in discussions with various parties, including potential talks with USR leader and former presidential candidate Elena Lasconi.

Romania is set to hold presidential elections again in 2025 after the Constitutional Court (CCR) decided to annul last year’s entire presidential election process following declassified reports alleging Russian involvement in cyber activities aimed at undermining the integrity of the first round, which saw independent, EU-skeptic candidate Călin Georgescu score an unexpected win. In the second round, he was set to face USR president Elena Lasconi.

Last week, the government approved May 4, 2025, as the new date for the first round of the presidential elections.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)