A total of 18 candidates have entered the race for the Bucharest mayor seat in the local elections to take place on September 27, according to the Electoral Bureau in Bucharest, Agerpres reported.

Fourteen candidates are supported by political parties while four run as independents.

The candidates with the highest chances are current mayor Gabriela Firea, supported by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and Nicusor Dan, currently a deputy in Romania’s Parliament, who runs as an independent but is supported by a wide coalition made of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the USR-Plus Alliance.

The high-profile candidates include Romania’s former president Traian Basescu, who served as mayor of Bucharest from 2000 until 2004, and former prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu.

The list of candidates includes Ilan Laufer, a former minister of the business environment in a PSD Government, and Ioan Sarbu, a former manager of the Military Hospital in Bucharest. Popular Romanian actor Florin Calinescu and Bogdan Stanoevici, a former manager of the Bucharest Circus, also joined the race.

A total of 22 political parties and alliances also submitted lists of candidates for the Bucharest General Council. The final structure of the council is just as important as who will be mayor as the mayor alone can’t implement his strategy without the council’s support.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Ilona Andrei)