site.btaLatest Poll Predicts Dead Heat Between Two Leading Candidates for Bucharest Mayor

The latest sociological survey by Romanian polling company Avangard predicts a tie between the two frontrunners in the race for Bucharest mayor, Digi24 reported on Monday. Daniel Baluta, current Mayor of Bucharest Sector 4 (the city has 6 sectors), and Ciprian Ciucu, Mayor of Sector 6, each received 25% support from respondents. A week earlier, Baluta led Ciucu by more than ten percentage points. 

Following them are Catalin Drula from the Save Romania Union with 20%, TV journalist Anca Alexandrescu with 18%, opposition party DREP leader Vlad George with 5%, Ana Ciceala from the Health Education, Nature and Sustainability Party with 2%, and Octavian Berceanu from Renewing Romania’s European Project party also with 2%.

Regarding Bucharest’s main problems, 22% of respondents cited road infrastructure, 18% - traffic congestion, 9% - politics, 8% - healthcare, 8% - education, 5% - central heating, 4% - green spaces, 3% - cleanliness, and 2% - pedestrian infrastructure.

On the most important investment for Bucharest, 29% prioritized building a new hospital, 16% - replacing central heating pipes (a process started by former mayor Nicusor Dan during his first term), 11% - parking facilities, 8% - street modernization, 4% - real estate development, and 4% - a multifunctional hall.

The survey also touched on parliamentary elections, projecting the Save Romania Union, led by Timisoara Mayor Dominic Fritz, as the leading party with 25% support. It was followed by the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (23%), the Social Democratic Party (20%), and the National Liberal Party (18%). Other parties polled lower percentages.

The Bucharest mayoral election date has not yet been announced but is expected this fall. Following Nicusor Dan’s appointment as Romania’s President on May 26, the position of Bucharest mayor has remained vacant.

The poll was conducted by phone between August 22 and 30, surveying 1,150 people. The margin of error is +/- 2.9%, with a 95% confidence level.