Potential Social Democrat candidate leads in poll for Bucharest mayoral elections

The Social Democrat (PSD) mayor of District 4 in Bucharest, Daniel Baluta, is leading in the poll carried out by INSCOP for the [still unscheduled] mayoral elections in Bucharest. Another poll, carried out by CURS, confirms Baluta’s leading position.

The race is, however, tight, and the centre-right parties coming up with a sole candidate might completely change the outcome, according to the results of the INSCOP poll carried out for the Liberal Party (PNL).

Baluta is expected to win over 26% of the voters with an option (around 80% of those polled) under both scenarios designed by INSCOP for modelling two alternative candidates from the far-right party AUR: AUR president George Simion and TV journalist Anca Alexandrescu.

The Liberals’ candidate Ciprian Ciucu, currently serving as District 6 mayor, would get nearly 24% of the votes under both scenarios, according to the poll.

The candidates potentially proposed by AUR would get 21%-22% of the votes, and George Simion (22%) is seen as only marginally better placed than Anca Alexandrescu (21.2%) – the main supporter of far-right nationalist presidential candidate Calin Georgescu.

Two reformist candidates of the USR and SENS parties are among the candidates tested by the INSCOP poll, and their combined score may exceed that of the leading PSD candidate, Daniel Baluta. Thus, USR’s candidate Catalin Drula would get 18.4% of the votes under one scenario and only 16.9% of the votes under the other scenario – the option of AUR for a candidate or another, surprisingly, impacting Drula's score particularly. SENS candidate Ana Ciceala is seen as 8.5% in both scenarios.

Under another poll carried out by CURS between August 11 and 22, the Social Democrats’ candidate Baluta would be voted for by 24% of Bucharest residents, followed by Catalin Drulă (USR) - 20%, and Cristian Popescu Piedone (PUSL) and Ciprian Ciucu (PNL) with 11% each.

The next in preference among voters in Bucharest are Anca Alexandrescu – 9%, Mihai Enache (AUR) – 6%, Diana Şoşoacă (SOS Romania) – 5%, Vlad Gheorghe (DREPT) – 3%, Ana Ciceala (SENS) – 3%, other – 1%.

Regarding the votes for the General Council of Bucharest Municipality, if local elections were held next Sunday, USR would obtain 24% of the votes, PSD – 21% and AUR – 18%. The following places would be PNL with 14%, POT – 7%, PUSL – 6%, SOS Romania – 5%, REPER – 4%, and other – 2%.

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