Bucharest votes for mayor of the capital

The candidates for mayor of Bucharest from three of the parties in the four-party ruling coalition have almost equal chances. The early vote came after Nicosor Dan was elected president in May. The newly elected mayor will complete Dan's mandate until 2028.

The latest survey published before the vote by the company AtlasIntel gives first place with 24% to the independent candidate, supported by the nationalists, Anca Alexandrescu. She has a minimal lead of 0.1% over the candidate of the ruling coalition's Social Democratic Party, Daniel Baluca - a dentist by education and current district mayor of Sector 4 in the capital. He is followed by another district mayor - of Sector 6 - Cipriani Ciucu from the National Liberal Party, with a difference of less than 4%. Fourth with 15.3 percent is former Minister of Transport Catalin Drula from the liberal Union for the Salvation of Romania and supported by President Nicos Dan.

The post of mayor of Bucharest is a serious political springboard, political scientist Dan Dragia commented for the Bulgarian National Radio. "This is an influential position. After the president, this is the elective position for which the most people vote in the country.", Dragia explains.

Almost 2 million and 200 thousand residents of the Romanian capital have the right to vote. The vote is in one round. Polling stations in Bucharest close at 9 p.m., when the first results are expected.

In addition to the mayoral vote, which pits candidates from the parties that govern the country together, additional tension in the coalition is being created by the ongoing water crisis in the southern counties of Prahova and Dambovita, which has left over 100,000 people homeless for more than a week.