Ciprian Ciucu is known as an amiable, hands-on reformer with a focus on investments, administrative reorganization and urban regeneration.
A pro-European local mayor clearly won the Bucharest mayoral race on Sunday, a boost_ and a relief_ for the government which has been pushing through unpopular austerity measures and facing widespread voter apathy.
Ciprian Ciucu, the Liberal Party mayor of Bucharest District 6, won about 36.16% to take the capital of about two million. Turnout was just 33%, one of the lowest in recent decades.
“I want to make Bucharest the long-term project of my life,” he said after polls closed.
Ciucu, 47, won two consecutive mandates as mayor of District 6,and was re-elected with over 70% of the vote in the 2024 elections.
He is known as an amiable, hands-on reformer with a focus on investments, administrative reorganization and urban regeneration.
After results began coming in, he said he had no ambitions beyond serving as Bucharest mayor. Two Bucharest mayors rose to the office of Romanian president, including current President Nicusor Dan, who was elected in May.
“First of all, in this campaign, I want to give a message of unity to the parties in the government coalition, especially for the center-right ones, we will have a lot of work to do at the Bucharest City Hall, we will have many projects to pass,” Ciucu said after exit polls came out.
In a surprise second place with 21.94% was television journalist Anca Alexandrescu who was supported by the anti-establishment and anti-Ukraine party, AUR, which is polling first nationally. At least one pre-election poll had put her in pole position.
Alexandrescu gained notoriety in the past year over her support for Calin Georgescu, a Russia-friendly, NATO skeptic who was reportedly helped by Russian interference to improbably win the first round of Nov. 2024 presidential elections, which were then cancelled. Russia has denied meddling.
She campaigned on vague abstract terms such as “God” and “justice” but gained traction due to her notoriety and disillusion with mainstream parties.
Before she cast her ballot on Sunday, she said: „I have faith that God will not desert us.” After results came in she said “this is just the beginning.”
Daniel Baluta, the Social Democrat mayor of District 4, came third with 20.51%.
Romania’s pro-European Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Sunday called on voters to vote “rationally and wisely” amid unease that the Romanian capital was poised to vote Alexandrescu, whose views are more aligned with Russia than the European Union.
“I urge Bucharest residents …. to make a rational vote, a wise vote,” the prime minister who is head of the center-right, pro-Western Liberal Party said.
Voter turnout was about 33.1%, lower than the previous election of 2024.
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