Former Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea has been chosen by the Bucharest branch of the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, as candidate for a new mandate as general mayor. 

The decision of the Bucharest organization comes amid negotiations between PSD and PNL for nominating a joint candidate to compete with the current mayor, Nicușor Dan, an independent backed by opposition center-right parties in the United Right Alliance.

The announcement was made by Firea herself. A final decision will be taken by the party leadership.

Gabriela Firea also mentioned that the Bucharest PSD organization unanimously validated the current mayors of districts 3, 4, and 5, namely Robert Negoiță, Daniel Băluță, and Cristian Popescu Piedone, as candidates for new mandates. Surveys to nominate candidates for the other districts are forthcoming. 

“Thank you to my colleagues from the PSD Bucharest Permanent Bureau, who have decided, by unanimous vote, to support my candidacy for the mayor of the Capital. I am determined to work again for the development of the city, for the people who have been abandoned for almost four years, for all the projects that were thrown away just because they were worked on by the social-democratic team,” Gabriela Firea said on Facebook.

Gabriela Firea was the general mayor of Bucharest between 2016 and 2020.

The latest polls place her at 33% of support among Bucharest residents, just under current mayor Nicușor Dan, who has 36%. 

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Gabriela Firea)