Romania's ruling coalition risks losing joint candidate to Bucharest City Hall

As the scandals surrounding Bucharest mayoral candidate Catalin Cirstoiu (head of University Central Hospital) are turning into a broader public debate about the rampant corruption in the public healthcare system and the way funds are siphoned into private clinics, the ruling coalition in Romania risks losing its joint candidate and part of his shrinking credibility.

The ruling coalition has a plan B and a plan C, Liberal (PNL) leader Nicolae Ciuca assured, as reported by Digi24, while District 3 mayor Robert Negoita – independent but affiliated to the Social Democrats (PSD) – volunteered to replace Cirstoiu, according to Hotnews.ro.

If there is no option for a joint candidate, Ciuca said that the Liberals will come up with their own – most likely minister of energy Sebastian Burduja.

Bucharest's former Social Democrat mayor Gabriela Firea, who targeted another term and was disappointed not to be nominated instead of Cirstoiu, said that a final decision would be taken in the morning of April 23, hours before the deadline for the appointment of a candidate, Hotnews.ro reported.

In any case, Catalin Cirstoiu said that he doesn't intend to step back "even if [Social Democrat leader] Marcel Ciolacu asks me" [to abandon the electoral race].

However, Cirstoiu was not yet appointed as the official candidate of the ruling coalition or of any of the two parties forming it.

"I have no reason to withdraw. I have no skeleton in my closet. Someone asked me to participate in a competition for Bucharest, and I accepted. At the moment, I am part of the PSD-PNL alliance team for Bucharest," Cirstoiu said, quoted by