Ruling coalition sets local, EP elections date

The leaders of the governing coalition have agreed on the dates for the European Parliament elections, set for June 9th, coinciding with the elections across the European Union. Additionally, local elections will take place on September 29th.

PSD (Social Democratic Party) and PNL (National Liberal Party) still need to finalize the dates for parliamentary and presidential elections. The leaders of the two parties have not reached an agreement yet, as each party is trying to maximize its chances in the presidential race. Liberals would prefer parliamentary elections to take place on December 8th, following the presidential elections scheduled for November 10th and 24th. PNL initially wished to hold parliamentary elections simultaneously with local elections, but PSD does not agree.

The Social Democrats aim to arrange the electoral calendar so that the first round of the presidential elections aligns with the parliamentary elections. This would facilitate Marcel Ciolacu’s access to the second round of the presidential race against George Simion. This strategic move is based on the principle that the political vote for parties influences the presidential candidate, potentially disadvantaging PNL, given the current opinion polls. During coalition discussions, PSD leaders opposed organizing parliamentary elections on December 8th, arguing that the mandate of the current Parliament would expire on December 6th, leading to a situation of unconstitutionality.

Marcel Ciolacu has consistently denied any intention to run for president whenever questioned. Similarly, George Simion has declined to officially announce his candidacy but unofficially acknowledged that he would run, contingent on Ciolacu’s candidacy for the PSD. Behind the political scenes, it is known that the two aspire to reach the final round together in the race for the presidency. PNL is in a more ambiguous situation, with uncertainty about whether Nicolae Ciuca will be the Liberal candidate.