More candidates named for Bucharest’s 2020 mayoral elections

The parties in the USR-PLUS alliance have announced distinct candidates for Bucharest’s mayoral elections next year but negotiations are to be held to establish a single nominee. Meanwhile, former presidential candidate Theodor Paleologu has also joined the race on behalf of the Popular Movement Party (PMP).

The Save Romania Union (USR) has decided to back independent MP Nicușor Dan as its candidate for the mayor job, Dumitru Dobrev, the interim president of USR Bucharest, said on Saturday, December 7.

He explained that, in the coming period, negotiations will be held with PLUS and the National Liberal Party (PNL) to support a single candidate for the mayor job, Digi24.ro reported.

The same day, Dacian Cioloș, who has been reelected president of PLUS, said his party will continue to back former health minister Vlad Voiculescu as a mayoral candidate.

“We are convinced that we stand a good chance of winning the local elections in Bucharest and we are ready to do everything that is up to us to have one single candidate, with a solid backing. We believe Vlad Voiculescu can be the candidate to receive the alliance’s [e.n. USR – PLUS alliance] backing. We are also ready to negotiate with the National Liberal Party,” Cioloş said, quoted by Agerpres.

The PLUS president said he wanted to avoid the 2016 mistake of the opposition parties which did not win the Bucharest mayor seat because there were too many candidates.

In his turn, PNL leader Ludovic Orban said it was premature for the right-wing parties to speak of nominating one single candidate for the local elections, Digi24.ro reported.

Former presidential candidate Theodor Paleologu will be the mayoral candidate of the Popular Movement Party (PMP), former president Traian Băsescu announced. Paleologu ranked fifth after the first round of the 2019 presidential elections, having gathered 5.72% of the votes (527,098 votes).

PMP president Eugen Tomac will run for the mayor position in Bucharest’s District 1, Mihail Neamțu will run on behalf of PMP in District 2, Ioana Constantin in District 3, Ștefănel Marian in District 4, Lucian Iliescu in District 5, and Ștefan Florescu in District 6.