BUCHAREST: Bucharest could become the first European Union capital led by a hard-right mayor in Sunday’s local election, a contest which threatens Romania’s fragile pro-European coalition government.
The influential post has been vacant since May when centrist Nicusor Dan won a presidential election re-run one year into his second term as mayor.
The re-run came after Romania canceled an election on suspicion of Russian interference that favored far-right frontrunner Calin Georgescu, who is currently awaiting trial on charges of attempting to subvert national security.
Polls show TV anchor Anca Alexandrescu, running as an independent backed by the opposition hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR), tied for first place in the mayoral race. Analysts caution, however, that surveys may be unreliable as Romania’s biggest city isn’t a far right stronghold.
Voting closes at 1900 GMT with preliminary results expected later on Sunday.
AUR opposes military aid to neighboring Ukraine, is critical of EU leadership and supportive of US President Donald Trump’s policies including on energy and immigration.
Alexandrescu’s main rivals all come from the broad coalition government: leftist Social Democrat Daniel Baluta who polls show to be tied in first place, Ciprian Ciucu, the protégé of Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, and Catalin Drula of center-right Save Romania Union (USR), which backed Dan’s presidential bid.
The Social Democrats (PSD), without whom a ruling pro-European majority could not be formed, joined the government on condition that each party had separate mayoral candidates, undermining center-right Ciucu and Drula.
“On the one hand, the stakes for AUR are huge, winning the capital would dispel the idea of a sanitary cordon isolating extremist parties,” said Sergiu Miscoiu, a political science professor at Babes-Bolyai University.
“On the other, if any of the ruling coalition’s candidates wins, then it will change the balance of power in the ruling coalition.”
Alexandrescu, a former PSD spokeswoman, was a vocal supporter of Georgescu — who did not endorse her or any other candidate — and is targeting the same voters angry at mainstream parties they perceive as incompetent and corrupt.
The government faces a no-confidence vote this month over judicial pension reform. AUR has said it would be willing to ally with the Social Democrats, who have rejected the idea but some of whom are pushing for the resignation of Prime Minister Bolojan over austerity plans.
Last year’s canceled election plunged Romania into its worst political crisis in decades, exposed its deep vulnerability to hybrid attacks and disinformation, divided voters, crashed markets and threatened the country’s investment-grade rating.
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Bucharest votes in mayoral race that could hand far right a first EU capital
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Bucharest votes in mayoral race that could hand far right a first EU capital
- The influential post has been vacant since May when centrist Nicusor Dan won a presidential election re-run one year into his second term as mayor
Peru Congress to debate impeachment of interim president
LIMA: Peru’s Congress is set to consider Tuesday whether to impeach interim president Jose Jeri, the country’s seventh head of state in 10 years, accused of the irregular hiring of several women in his government.
A motion to oust Jeri, 39, received the backing of dozens of lawmakers on claims of influence peddling, the latest of a series of impeachment bids against him.
The session, set for 10:00 am local time (1500 GMT), is expected to last several hours.
Jeri, in office since October, took over from unpopular leader Dina Boluarte who was ousted by lawmakers amid protests against corruption and a wave of violence linked to organized crime.
Prosecutors said Friday they were opening an investigation into “whether the head of state exercised undue influence” in the government appointments of nine women on his watch.
On Sunday, Jeri told Peruvian TV: “I have not committed any crime.”
Jeri, a onetime leader of Congress himself, was appointed to serve out the remainder of Boluarte’s term, which runs until July, when a new president will take over following elections on April 12.
He is constitutionally barred from seeking election in April.
The alleged improper appointments were revealed by investigative TV program Cuarto Poder, which said five women were given jobs in the president’s office and the environment ministry after visiting with Jeri.
Prosecutors spoke of a total of nine women.
Jeri is also under investigation for alleged “illegal sponsorship of interests” following a secret meeting with a Chinese businessman with commercial ties with the government.
- Institutional crisis -
The speed with which the censure process is being handled has been attributed by some political observers as linked to the upcoming presidential election, which has over 30 candidates tossing their hat into the ring, a record.
The candidate from the right-wing Popular Renewal party, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who currently leads in polls, has been among the most vocal for Jeri’s ouster.
If successfully impeached, Jeri would cease to exercise his functions and be replaced by the head of parliament as interim president.
But first a new parliamentary president would have to be elected, as the incumbent is acting in an interim capacity.
“It will be difficult to find a replacement with political legitimacy in the current Congress, with evidence of mediocrity and strong suspicion of widespread corruption,” political analyst Augusto Alvarez told AFP.
Peru is experiencing a prolonged political crisis, which has seen it burn through six presidents since 2016, several of them impeached or under investigation for wrongdoing.
It is also gripped by a wave of extortion that has claimed dozens of lives, particularly of bus drivers — some shot at the wheel if their companies refuse to pay protection money.
In two years, the number of extortion cases reported in Peru jumped more than tenfold — from 2,396 to over 25,000 in 2025.
A motion to oust Jeri, 39, received the backing of dozens of lawmakers on claims of influence peddling, the latest of a series of impeachment bids against him.
The session, set for 10:00 am local time (1500 GMT), is expected to last several hours.
Jeri, in office since October, took over from unpopular leader Dina Boluarte who was ousted by lawmakers amid protests against corruption and a wave of violence linked to organized crime.
Prosecutors said Friday they were opening an investigation into “whether the head of state exercised undue influence” in the government appointments of nine women on his watch.
On Sunday, Jeri told Peruvian TV: “I have not committed any crime.”
Jeri, a onetime leader of Congress himself, was appointed to serve out the remainder of Boluarte’s term, which runs until July, when a new president will take over following elections on April 12.
He is constitutionally barred from seeking election in April.
The alleged improper appointments were revealed by investigative TV program Cuarto Poder, which said five women were given jobs in the president’s office and the environment ministry after visiting with Jeri.
Prosecutors spoke of a total of nine women.
Jeri is also under investigation for alleged “illegal sponsorship of interests” following a secret meeting with a Chinese businessman with commercial ties with the government.
- Institutional crisis -
The speed with which the censure process is being handled has been attributed by some political observers as linked to the upcoming presidential election, which has over 30 candidates tossing their hat into the ring, a record.
The candidate from the right-wing Popular Renewal party, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who currently leads in polls, has been among the most vocal for Jeri’s ouster.
If successfully impeached, Jeri would cease to exercise his functions and be replaced by the head of parliament as interim president.
But first a new parliamentary president would have to be elected, as the incumbent is acting in an interim capacity.
“It will be difficult to find a replacement with political legitimacy in the current Congress, with evidence of mediocrity and strong suspicion of widespread corruption,” political analyst Augusto Alvarez told AFP.
Peru is experiencing a prolonged political crisis, which has seen it burn through six presidents since 2016, several of them impeached or under investigation for wrongdoing.
It is also gripped by a wave of extortion that has claimed dozens of lives, particularly of bus drivers — some shot at the wheel if their companies refuse to pay protection money.
In two years, the number of extortion cases reported in Peru jumped more than tenfold — from 2,396 to over 25,000 in 2025.
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