The first poll for the presidential elections carried out after the June 9 local and European elections indicates that prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, the head of the Social Democratic (PSD) party, leads against his main rivals at a substantial margin. 

The poll carried out by Sociopol shows Ciolacu at 31%, twice the score of independent candidate Mircea Geoana (15%), the leader of all recent presidential polls.

George Simion (17%), the leader of the nationalist party AUR, ranks second in the poll with a score that is plausible given his party’s performance in the June 9 ballots.

The Liberals’ candidate Nicolae Ciuca (13%) lags behind Geoana and Simion, but is among the three candidates that would potentially make it to the second round. 

The poll doesn’t include Elena Lasconi or any other candidate of the reformist party USR.

(Photo: Vladographer/ Dreamstime)

iulian@romania-insider.com