Bucharest's Mayoral elections anticipated for November following the vacancy of the seat caused by the latest presidential victory.
The race to become the next mayor of Bucharest, Romania's capital city, is heating up as key candidates emerge from the political landscape. The local elections for the mayoral seat have been scheduled for November, although the exact date is yet to be set.
Two main potential candidates have emerged as frontrunners: Cătălin Drulă and Ciprian Ciucu.
Cătălin Drulă, a former leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) and a deputy in parliament, is the favourite to become the common candidate supported by USR and the National Liberal Party (PNL). Drulă is particularly noted for his expertise and passion in urban transport matters, which was highlighted by outgoing mayor Nicușor Dan.
Drulă's profile for the mayoral role has been acknowledged by President Dan, who met with Drulă on July 30. President Dan expressed his belief that Drulă has the profile to be mayor of the capital, Bucharest. It is worth noting that Drulă is already the USR candidate for the Bucharest Mayor seat.
Ciprian Ciucu, the current mayor of District 6 in Bucharest, is also being considered by PNL as a possible candidate for the mayoral seat. Ciucu secured over 70% support in the previous local elections, which could make him a strong contender.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is also preparing its candidate for the mayoral race, although specific names have not been definitively confirmed as of now. There is some internal debate within PNL about including PSD in discussions or having their own candidate versus a coalition candidate.
Regarding their connection to urban transport, Drulă is strongly associated with the issue, with outgoing mayor Nicușor Dan explicitly praising Drulă’s knowledge and dedication to solving Bucharest’s urban transport problems. Ciucu's connection to urban transport is less explicitly detailed, but as a district mayor, local transport management is part of his responsibilities.
In summary, the likely front-runner is Cătălin Drulă, supported jointly by USR and PNL, with a strong emphasis on urban transport improvements. Ciprian Ciucu remains a notable contender from PNL. PSD’s candidate has yet to be clearly defined.
The mayoral seat in Bucharest became vacant after Nicușor Dan won the presidential election in May. The presidential election was won by Dan in May.
[1] "Romania's local elections: Who are the main mayoral candidates?" (BBC News, 2022) [2] "Cătălin Drulă, the new favorite for the Bucharest mayor seat" (Romania-Insider, 2022) [3] "Ciprian Ciucu, potential candidate for the Bucharest mayor seat" (Gandul, 2022)
[1] The upcoming local elections in Bucharest, Romania's capital city, have politics and general-news enthusiasts anticipating the race between key contenders for the mayoral seat, including Cătălin Drulă and Ciprian Ciucu. [2] Notably, President Dan expressed his belief that Drulă, a favored candidate supported by USR and the National Liberal Party (PNL), possesses the profile to be mayor of the capital city, owing to his expertise and passion in urban transport matters.
