Romania's ruling coalition chooses doctor as joint candidate for mayor of Bucharest

Romania's ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democrats (PSD) and Liberals (PNL), announced doctor Cătălin Cîrstoiu as its candidate for general mayor of Bucharest.

Former mayor Gabriela Firea, who had been rumored to be PSD's choice had the coalition not found enough common ground to support a single candidate, along with PNL's energy minister Sebastian Burduja, will be the campaign coordinators. The two were present at the launch of Cîrstoiu's candidacy on Wednesday, March 20, and gave messages in support of the new candidate.

The leaders of the two parties, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu and Senate president Nicolae Ciucă, also present at the launch, said that Bucharest deserves a new administration.

"[PM] Ciolacu asked me how long we have been governing. It's been two and a half years, and it worked; that's why, at the European elections, we are showing unity and creating a strong list to better represent the interests of Romanians. Based on this model, we considered it opportune and necessary to come up with a joint candidate, and that is Cătălin Cîrstoiu. We did not choose a politician because we came with a person who has done nothing in life but serve people from morning till night in an institution where people need help when times are hard," said Nicolae Ciucă, cited by Digi24.

In turn, the Social Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu stated that the general mayor must coordinate a team and be a catalyst of high-performing individuals from all fields.

"Dr. Cîrstoiu did not stand with his hand out to the Government, he made European projects and developed the University Hospital. We looked together for the best solution," he said.

Cătălin Cîrstoiu said he took up the challenge of running for mayor because he saw that the capital's health services needed restructuring.

"About 130,000 patients pass through the University Hospital each year. At the Faculty of Medicine, we educate a thousand young people annually who will become doctors. Having a civic sense, I understood that health is not limited to the methods found in the hospital. Health goes beyond that; it's influenced by clean air, efficient public transport, effective infrastructure, and a warm and conducive environment," he said.

Cîrstoiu confessed that he is a survivor of cancer and added that he will use the experience he gathered to fix "a sick city."

The doctor is 49, a university professor at the Department of Orthopedics-Traumatology at the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, and a member of the Professorial Council at the Faculty of Medicine. Since 2009, he has been the manager of the same hospital.