Post-election political strategies

The political parties in Romania are preparing the strategy for the presidential elections in September.

Mihai Pelin, 13.06.2024, 14:00

In Romania, the ruling alliance, made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal party (PNL), obtained almost half of the votes cast in Sunday’s European  elections. It was followed by the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (the ultranationalist AUR), the United Right Alliance (ADU), the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) and the small SOS Romania party. One of the MEPs who will represent Romania in the community legislature is independent.

Local elections were also held on Sunday. PSD won the political vote for mayors and councils, being followed by PNL and UDMR. In Bucharest, the current general mayor, the independent Nicusor Dan, won a new mandate, and the ADU and PSD ranked first in the General Council. As expected, soon after this victory, PSD and PNL started drawing up their political strategies for the presidential elections in September.

The situation does not seem simple at all for the two big winners of the election, in the context in which neither PSD nor PNL give up the idea of ​​their own candidate. The PNL leader, Nicolae Ciucă, said again that the Liberals will have their own candidate in this election, but added that, in his opinion, the current ruling coalition can continue to work, even if the parties that compose it are in direct competition. Nicolae Ciucă : “I can tell you with all responsibility that the National Liberal Party will have its own candidate in the presidential elections. If we look at the figures obtained by each party, their sum is considerably higher than the vote obtained on the joint list. Consequently, the electorate of each of us (…) mobilizes for everything that means the values ​​and identity of each party.”

In turn, the PSD leader and prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, said that the Social Democrats will have their own candidate at the presidential election. He added that the decision will be taken after internal consultations. Marcel Ciolacu: “The Social Democratic Party will have a candidate. This week I will have meetings with all the party leaders and we will make a decision.”

From the opposition, USR and AUR are also looking for solutions. After the good result obtained in the local and European elections, AUR is going to announce its candidate for the presidential elections, namely, George Simion, the president of the party. USR has started the procedures for appointing a new leadership of the party, which will later decide on the candidate for this position.

We remind you that Parliament decided that the elections for the future head of state can take place no later than three months before the mandate of the incumbent president, Klaus Iohannis, expires, that is on December 21st. Also in the last month of the year, parliamentary elections are held in Romania. (EE)