Bucharest general mayor Nicușor Dan submitted his candidacy for the 2025 presidential elections on Friday, March 7, the first to do so among the announced candidates. He is running as an independent, and was assisted by volunteers to gather the necessary signatures.
The 2025 presidential elections will take place on May 4 (first round) and May 18 (second round). The deadline for submitting candidacies in March 15.
"The upcoming electoral campaign is about a large category of Romanians who are honest, who work, who pay their taxes, who have common sense, and who ask for very, very little. They ask for their voice to be heard and for the state authorities, which they pay, to work for them and not for certain groups," said Nicușor Dan on the occasion, cited by Libertatea.
Responding to questions posed by journalists, Nicușor Dan said that he has raised approximately RON 1.7 - 1.8 million (EUR 361,000) through donations so far and has allocated EUR 200,000 for advertising billboards, already visible in the country.
"These are funds from donations. There are about 320 - 330 billboards in Bucharest and across the country," the mayor stated on Friday in a press briefing at the Central Electoral Bureau.
According to a recent poll, far-right and pro-Russian politician Călin Georgescu, who is expected to submit his candidacy as well, remains the favorite in the presidential elections. He is followed by governing coalition candidate Crin Antonescu and Nicușor Dan, in a race for the run-off.
Percentages and placings may change dramatically if Georgescu is not allowed to run, as many expect.
During the presidential elections on November 24, 2024, Călin Georgescu (independent) and Elena Lasconi (USR) received the most votes, qualifying for the second round. However, on December 6, 2024, the Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round, after a series of documents were made public indicating foreign interference.
More recently, prosecutors placed Georgescu, who claims to have run his previous presidential campaign without any funds, under judicial control for incitement to actions against constitutional order, dissemination of false information, repeated false statements (regarding the sources of electoral campaign financing and asset declarations), and involvement in or support of fascist, racist, or xenophobic organizations.
In commenting on the situation, Dan suggested that the legislative framework allowing the Constitutional Court to disqualify candidates should be reviewed after the elections.
"Romania is a rule-of-law state, and within this state, we have an institution - the Constitutional Court. I don’t want to comment on what the Court will decide. However, I believe that, as a general rule, any person who wants to run - aside from a few very extreme exceptions—should be allowed to do so," he stated, referencing Georgescu’s case.
The current mayor of Bucharest announced his intention to run after last year's presidential elections were cancelled.
Nicușor Dan graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Bucharest, and later obtained a PhD in mathematics in France. He returned to Romania, where he founded the Bucharest Higher Normal School, a scientific institution aimed at guiding the best Romanian students towards research. However, besides his academic career, Dan has also been active in the public sphere, engaging in civic causes and movements promoting changes in local and national administration.
Before becoming a politician, Nicușor Dan made a name for himself as a local activist in Bucharest. His perseverance in civic activism brought him fame when the "Save Bucharest" Association, founded by him, won case after case against local authorities and stopped the demolition of the city's heritage buildings.
He became a significant public figure in Romania in 2020 when he won Bucharest's local elections as an independent, without political affiliation, but supported by a right-wing alliance consisting of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Union Save Romania (USR). Dan founded the latter party years ago, but left after a spat over same-sex marriage. Despite his more conservative positioning on the matter, he attracts votes from the right-wing, liberal political spectrum.
Four years later, at the 2024 local elections, Bucharest residents gave Nicușor Dan a resounding victory over former mayor Gabriela Firea, backed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
Despite his electoral success, Dan has also been criticized for his slow administrative decisions, particularly regarding approvals and permits needed for the construction of buildings. He also received flak for the highly congested traffic and neglecting the state of Bucharest’s iconic parks.
In reply, Dan asked for more power for the office of the general mayor of Bucharest and 60% of those who voted in the November 24 referendum, held at the same time as the cancelled presidential elections, voted in favor of his proposal.
By all means a moderate and an independent, Nicușor Dan hopes to present himself as an alternative to the sovereignist bloc and the governing coalition, keeping a pro-EU, pro-NATO stance while promising to reform the state.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Călin)
