Bucharest Could Elect EU’s First Hard-Right Mayor as Romania’s Coalition Faces New Strains

Bucharest could become the first European Union capital to be led by a hard-right mayor as Romania heads into fiercely contested local elections on Sunday, posing a fresh challenge to the country’s fragile pro-European coalition government.

The capital’s mayoral seat has remained vacant since May, when centrist Nicușor Dan won a presidential election re-run just one year into his second term. The re-run followed the cancellation of last year’s election over suspected Russian interference that had benefited far-right frontrunner Călin Georgescu, who now awaits trial on charges of attempting to subvert national security.

In the current race, TV presenter Anca Alexandrescu — running as an independent with the backing of the hard-right Alliance for the Uniting of Romanians (AUR) — is polling neck-and-neck for first place. Analysts warn, however, that surveys may not accurately reflect voter sentiment in a city not traditionally known as a far-right stronghold. Voting closes at 1900 GMT, with preliminary results expected later in the evening.

AUR, which opposes military aid to Ukraine, criticises EU leadership, and aligns closely with former US President Donald Trump’s positions on energy and immigration, is hoping that a win in the capital will break what political observers describe as a “sanitary cordon” isolating extremist parties.

Alexandrescu faces stiff competition from three candidates within the governing coalition: Social Democrat Daniel Băluță, who is also tied for first in several polls; Ciprian Ciucu, backed by Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan; and Cătălin Drulă of the center-right Save Romania Union (USR), which supported Dan’s presidential bid.

The ruling coalition’s unusual agreement — under which each party fields its own mayoral candidate — has inadvertently split the pro-European vote, weakening both Ciucu and Drulă.

“On one hand, the stakes for AUR are huge — winning the capital would shatter the idea that extremist parties are contained,” said Sergiu Mișcoiu, political science professor at Babeș-Bolyai University. “On the other, if any of the coalition’s candidates wins, it will reshape the balance of power within the government.”

A former PSD spokeswoman, Alexandrescu has long been associated with Georgescu, though he has declined to endorse any candidate. Her campaign appeals to voters disillusioned with mainstream parties they see as corrupt and ineffective.

The election unfolds against a tense political backdrop: the government is facing a no-confidence vote this month over judicial pension reforms. AUR has signaled openness to an alliance with the Social Democrats, though PSD leaders have rejected the idea — even as some within the party call for Prime Minister Bolojan’s resignation over austerity measures.

Last year’s canceled election triggered Romania’s worst political crisis in decades, exposing its vulnerability to hybrid attacks and disinformation, dividing the electorate, rattling financial markets, and threatening the country’s investment-grade rating.