New candidate for Bucharest mayor may ruin ruling coalition’s plans

The mayor of District 5 in Bucharest, Cristian Popescu Piedone, announced that he plans to run for the Bucharest general mayor seat. He said he would make it to the second ballot, where he would face incumbent mayor Nicusor Dan.

Piedone, self-declared the candidate of the working class (“I am social, as well as liberal”), is running on the ticket of a political vehicle with little visibility (PPU-SL). However, he expressed his confidence that “it’s his time” and that no other candidate than him and Nicusor Dan is relevant for the local elections in Bucharest, Digi24 reported.

And he might not be wrong. Still undecided whether to propose former Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea or accept a Liberal candidate, the Social Democrats may remain out of the race if Piedone steps into the race for the Bucharest mayoral seat.

Eventually, this would help mayor Nicusor Dan keep his seat for another term and go ahead with plans for decent and predictable urban planning in Bucharest.

But it might also motivate the ruling coalition (Social Democrats and Liberals) to come up with a candidate with an entrepreneurial pedigree, as indicated by rumors intensely circulated. Unlike Piedone, such a candidate would get a substantial endorsement from the business circles (particularly real estate developers) against incumbent mayor Dan.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)