RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The local elections campaign kicks off in Romania

The campaign for the local elections has started on Friday.

(Credits: @mae.romania)
(Credits: @mae.romania)

, 28.08.2020, 14:00

Initially scheduled for June but postponed for September 27th, Romanian local elections will be held under very special conditions this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The election campaign, which has started on Friday, will be subject to a number of restrictions. Thus, campaign staff and candidates will have to wear face masks at the meetings with the electorate, both indoor and outdoor. Events held in enclosed spaces can last 2 hours at the most and can be attended by maximum 50 people, while in the case of outdoor events as many as 100 people can participate. Moreover, for the door-to-door type of campaign, only teams of two people will be allowed.



This will be a rather unusual campaign, held at a complicated time, but democracy cannot be suspended or placed between the brackets, because it guarantees us all the rights and freedoms that we enjoy, president Klaus Iohannis pointed out. He addressed candidates in particular, urging them not to expose people to the danger of infection, because, he said, no electoral goal is more important than health, and any violation of the rules will have to be drastically sanctioned.



From a political perspective, this year’s local elections have a particularity noticed by the media once candidacies were launched. The big parties have given up the usual alliances with the small parties, which were useful when votes were needed but prone to blackmail. The latter, however, need visibility, given that local elections will be followed, at the end of the year, by legislative elections. This explains the big number of parties and candidates running in the local elections. In Bucharest alone, there are over 100 candidates to the seat of city mayor or district mayor.



The position of Bucharest mayor is disputed by established politicians and also by more exotic candidates such as second hand actors, a mountain guide, a diplomat or a driver. However, the electoral battle will be held not only in the capital Bucharest, but also in the other big cities, between the left wing, represented by the Social Democratic Party and the right wing represented by the National Liberal Party, the latter running alone or jointly with USR-PLUS. At stake are 41 seats of county council president, over 13 hundred seats of county councilors, 40 thousand seats of local councilors and 3200 mayor seats. (Translated by Elena Enache)



(Photo: pixabay@Engin_Akyurt)
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Elections in Moldova (Photo: Radio Chișinău)
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Foto: Baza 71 Aeriană / MApn
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Foto: pixabay.com
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional
Today in the News Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Challenges of an ageing population

Romanians are getting fewer and older.   The population of Romania in mid-2024 was 21,779,000, down 1% compared to June 1, 2023. According to...

Challenges of an ageing population
Today in the News Monday, 28 October 2024

Romania sees rising public debt levels

Government debt rose in July to over 876 billion lei (that’s around 175 billion euros), from 860 billion lei in the previous month, according to...

Romania sees rising public debt levels
Today in the News Monday, 28 October 2024

Presidential debate in the Republic of Moldova

An unusual electoral debate, in form, but predictable in content, had as protagonists, on Sunday, the two remaining candidates in the presidential...

Presidential debate in the Republic of Moldova
Today in the News Friday, 25 October 2024

The presidential campaign begins

  Romania saw the start of the campaign for the first round of the presidential election on Friday. The campaign ends at 7 am on November 23....

The presidential campaign begins

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company