Exit poll shows Bucharest mayor winning second term, PSD-PNL alliance first in EU Parliament race
Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan is projected to win 45% of the votes cast in the local elections on June 9, according to an exit poll conducted by CURS-Avangarde quoted by Digi24.
Former Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea is on the second place, with 24% of the votes. Firea entered the race for the Bucharest mayor job when the governing coalition, made up of the Social Democrat Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL), decided to withdraw the common candidate they had announced and instead go each with its own proposal. PNL-backed Sebastian Burduja is at 10% of the votes, behind the PUSL candidate Cristian Popescu Piedone, also the mayor of Bucharest’s District 5, who is predicted to have gathered 13% of the votes.
Romania held both the local and EU Parliament election on June 9 as voters had to decide who the mayors, local councilors, county councilors, and presidents of the county councilors will be, in addition to the members of the European Parliament.
The exit poll also shows the PSD - PNL alliance dominating the EU Parliament race, with 54% of the votes, followed by the far-right party AUR at 14%, ahead of the center-right alliance ADU, made up of the Save Romania Union (USR), the People’s Movement Party (PMP), and Forța Dreptei, at 11%.
The voter turnout in Bucharest was lower than the country average, at around 44%, compared to the national average of more than 50%, according to preliminary data. The turnout for these elections was however slightly higher compared to the previous rounds of the local and EP Parliament elections, according to 22:00 data from the Permanent Electoral Authority. At the 2020 local elections the turnout was 46.62 %, while at the 2019 EU Parliament elections 49.02% of the voters cast their ballot.
simona@romania-insider.com
