June 10, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 10.06.2024, 19:51

Local elections. Nicuşor Dan, the incumbent general mayor of Bucharest, who ran as an independent in Sunday’s local elections, won a new term with almost 47% of the votes. The social-democratic candidate Gabriela Firea came a distant second. In the General Council, the Social Democratic Party and the United Right Alliance, which supported Nicuşor Dan, are tied, with about 27% of the votes. The Social Democrats and the Liberals, who are in government together, also won most county council positions. Romania also held European parliamentary elections on Sunday, which were won jointly by the Social Democrats and the Liberals. The ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians came second, followed by the United Right Alliance and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.  Romania will be represented by 33 MEPs.

Resignation. The leader of the Save Romania Union Cătălin Drulă is stepping down following the poor results obtained by his party in Sunday’s local and European elections. He said it was important for the Save Romania Union to go ahead because people have placed in it their hopes for the modernisation of their country.  Although the independent candidate it supported, Nicuşor Dan, won a second term as general mayor in Bucharest, the Save Romania Union won no position as sector mayor. In the European elections, the United Right Alliance formed around this party won around 11% of the votes, down from 22% in 2019.

European elections. According to partial results after the European elections held between June 6-9, the European People’s Party Group obtained most seats in the European Parliament, namely 191, 15 more than in the previous elections. The Social Democrats are in second position, with 135 seats, 4 fewer than in 2019. Renew lost almost 20 seats but remains the third largest group in the European Parliament. The two far-right Eurosceptic groups, the European Conservatives and Reformists and Identity and Democracy, become the fourth and fifth largest groups, respectively. The Greens lose fourth position and fall to sixth, with 53 seats, compared to the 71 they held after the 2019 elections, and the extreme left remains in seventh position with 35 seats. The independents won 50 seats, and the unaffiliated parties 45 seats. It is believed that the future majority will be formed through negotiation between the first three groups. Together, they hold a comfortable majority of 409 seats out of a total of 720, so the vote for the future European Commission should not pose any problems. The European People’s Party group wants Ursula von der Leyen to serve a second term as head of the European Commission, which would require only 361 votes. Von der Leyen  said her centre-right alliance will build “a bastion against extremes”. Far right and radical right parties won the European elections in France, Austria and Italy and came second in Germany and The Netherlands. Following the results in France, President Emmanuel Macron called early elections in three weeks’ time. Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo resigned after his party’s poor performance in the federal, regional and European elections.

Tech Week. Over June 10-16, Bucharest is hosting the eighth edition of Bucharest Tech Week, an emblematic event that transforms the city into the epicenter of technological innovation and where more than 25,000 technology enthusiasts are expected. With a focus on redefining the human experience through technology, the event promises to inspire industry professionals and enthusiasts alike, giving them the opportunity to discover the latest trends and innovations. Bucharest Tech Week maintains the same successful structure, the organizers announced: 5 days of Business Summits, followed by Tech Expo, the largest tech exhibition in Romania, dedicated to the public at large, held throughout the weekend. This year, the five business summits bring together over 50 local and international speakers, and over 60 partner companies respectively, that will bring to the attention of those present over 450 technology solutions dedicated to the business environment.