With the appointment of Nikusor Dan as president of Romania, the position of mayor of Bucharest will remain vacant, BTA reported.
This means that new elections will soon follow, local media comment. The names of potential candidates who have expressed their intention to join the race for the position have already surfaced on the political scene.
Several names close to the new president are also being circulated, Digi24 writes in its article on the topic.
The candidates
One of the possible options is Ciprian Ciuc, the current mayor of Sector Six. He is in his second term as mayor and holds the position of first vice-president of the National Liberal Party.
Daniel Baluca, mayor of Sector Four, is another potential candidate.
Recently, former mayor of Bucharest and current MEP for the Social Democratic Party, Gabriela Fireia, announced that she would be interested in running for a new term if the position were vacant.
The name of Vlad Gheorghe, a close associate of Nikusor Dan, is also being linked. He is also the first politician to ask the mayor to run for president after the annulled elections. The two have collaborated in the past in the party “Union for the Salvation of Romania” founded by Nikusor Dan.
A possible option for the post of mayor of Bucharest is Catalin Drula, the former leader of the “Union for the Salvation of Romania”.
Dan Trifu, vice-president of the Eco-Civica Foundation, has also announced his candidacy for mayor. He is known for his fight for environmental protection.
The procedure
After the confirmation of the results of the presidential elections by the Constitutional Court, Nikusor Dan is obliged to resign from the post of mayor. The position is declared vacant and the executive branch must present a calendar for partial local elections. The government has 90 days to set a date.
Until then, the leadership functions will be carried out by an interim mayor, appointed from among the current deputy mayors. Currently, Bucharest City Hall has two deputy mayors - Adrian Vigechiu (PSD) and Stelian Bujduvianu (PLP). According to the legislation, the Municipal Council will vote to appoint one of the two deputy mayors as interim mayor-general.