Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the country’s presidential election which the far-right candidate Călin Georgescu had won on the grounds that it was manipulated. The rerun will take place in the new year. Nicușor Dan, mayor of Bucharest, has announced his candidacy. The national press discusses Dan’s chances as an independent and the way he is exploiting this status.
Open/close all quotes
Not belonging to a party is a bonus
Independent candidates are in vogue, says Contributors:
“Nicușor Dan’s candidacy is based on two trump cards. Firstly, he is running as an independent. … Independence has already proven to be a trump card in the mayoral elections in Bucharest and in the first round of the presidential election. The polls from 2024 show that independent candidates are striking a chord in society (they’re polling at around 55 percent). … The same polls showed that even among those who tend to vote for the established parties a significant proportion would vote in favour of an independent candidate. Nicuşor Dan’s second trump card is his legitimacy, which he recently gained when he won the mayoral election again.”
No messiah
The new candidate is a real threat to his rivals but he shouldn’t overdo it with the anti-establishment rhetoric, warns republica.ro:
“Nicușor Dan is no naive nerd. On the contrary, he is a calculating and at times even cynical politician. With his surprise candidacy he is seizing the initiative and forcing the entire political class to position itself. He knows when to strike. It is important for democracy that he does not present himself to voters as a messiah. By demonising the parties and the entire political class from the position of an independent candidate, Dan is now playing an extremely dangerous game that will only swell the ranks of the extremists.”