The Serbian Economist reports that the candidate of the National Liberal Party of Romania (PNL), backed by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, Ciprian Ciuc won the early election for mayor of Bucharest with about 36% of the votes after almost all ballots were counted.
According to Romanian and international media, Ciuc beat far-right Alliance for the Unification of Romanians (AUR) candidate Anca Alexandrescu, who received about 22% of the vote, as well as Social Democratic Party (PSD) nominee Daniel Belutse, who came in third. The election was seen as a test of the influence of AUR, which is leading in part of the nationwide polls.
The post of mayor of the Romanian capital became vacant after the former mayor Nicusor Dan was elected president of the country in 2025, necessitating an extraordinary vote. The victory of the EU-oriented liberal candidate is seen by observers as an important political success for incumbent Prime Minister Bolojan and his pro-European ruling coalition amid the growing popularity of right-wing and far-right forces in the region.
Analysts note that the outcome of the Bucharest election reduces the risk that one of the first capitals of an EU member state could become a city governed by a radical right-wing party, while strengthening the government’s position ahead of further political battles at the national level.
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