Bucharest’s popular mayor Nicusor Dan has lent his support to Romania’s tightly contested presidential race.
Mr. Dan on Sunday threw his weight behind Liberal Party chairman Nicolae Ciuca, predicting that Romania’s center-right would govern not only Bucharest, but the entire country.
Former prime minister, Mr. Ciuca, 57, thanked the Bucharest mayor for his endorsement, who easily won re-election in June.
“We are heading for victory together! From December, the center-right will govern not only Bucharest, but the entire country,” Mr. Ciucă said after his National Liberal Party, a junior party in the governing coalition, had nominated him as their candidate in the November ballot.
Mr. Dan, who is not formally a member of the Liberal Party, took part in the congress, saying he he hoped to work with the Liberals in the future.
Despite his decisive victory as a non-affiliated candidate in the June 9 election, he said Romania’s capital and the country needed a liberal government.
“Mr. Ciucă has a quality. When there’s a problem, he tries to solve it without thinking: ‘What would the press say?'” Mr. Dan told the National Liberal Party who met to support Mr. Ciucă’s candidacy for president.
In 2020, Mr. Ciuca, a retired general received a top military award from the U.S. Ambassador for his contribution to European and NATO security when he was acting prime minister. He was prime minister from 2021 to 2023 and is now Senate speaker. He also served as defense minister.
The Legion of Merit is the highest award the United States Armed Forces can give to a non-U.S. citizen and is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service and achievement, the U.S. embassy said then
Romania holds presidential elections on Nov. 24 with a runoff two weeks later if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote.
President Klaus Iohannis is standing down after serving a maximum two terms.
Nicolae Ciucă, pro-Western ex-Romanian PM, announces presidential bid
