Final results of the local elections

The Social-Democratic Party has won the local elections in Romania.

Roxana Vasile, 13.06.2016, 14:16

The Social-Democrats have won the highest number of seats for the position of mayor, local councilor and general councilor in the local elections in Romania on June 5, commonly seen as a test for political parties ahead of the legislative elections this autumn. The Social-Democrats have outrun the Liberals, who expressed their satisfaction with the result of the vote, despite suffering a bitter defeat in Bucharest.

By tradition, one of the bedrocks of right-wing parties, Bucharest was won by the Social-Democrat candidate, Gabriela Firea, who has become the first woman to take over the role of General Mayor. The Social-Democrats have also won the race for the mayorship of Bucharests six districts. The only challenge to the Social-Democrats full victory in Bucharest was Clotilde Armand, the candidate of the Save Bucharest Union, who lost narrowly to her Social-Democrat opponent.

At national level, however, the Social-Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party have shared the spoils. Even so, the surprisingly good results grabbed by the Save Bucharest Union in the capital city, where Nicusor Dan was runner-up, outrunning the Liberal candidate, are indicative of a major rift in the Romanian political system. Political pundits say the Liberal Party is split: the partys branches across the country had good or decent results, in stark contrast with the catastrophe in Bucharest. Their apparent powerlessness, indifference and contempt for the voters have eased the Social-Democrats path to victory in the capital, and have fuelled popular support for the Save Bucharest Union.

Riding the momentum of their small victory in Bucharest, Union leaders have announced their party would become the Save Romania Union. The Union is harshly criticizing the current political class, which it describes as unresponsive to peoples needs and corrupt.

And the statement is not too wide off the mark, considering the results of the local elections. In many cases, the local offices were won by candidates with a criminal record. The mayor of Baia Mare, Catalin Chereches, was re-elected after winning 70% of the vote, despite being on pre-trial arrest for receiving tens of thousands of euros in bribes. The same is true for the elected mayors of Craiova, Ramnicu Valcea or Brasov.

The result is telling of voters low standards, as well as of the parties poor choice of candidates. This tendency also risks encouraging MPs to double their efforts to limit the remit of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, which has been waging a merciless war on corruption in Romania for a good number of years now.