Voters in Romania’s capital elected centrist politician Ciprian Ciucu as mayor on Sunday, dealing a setback to the country’s growing far-right movement and delivering a political boost to

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

Ciucu, a candidate of the center-right National Liberal Party and a close ally of the prime minister, secured about 36 percent of the vote, according to early results. He defeated television presenter Anca Alexandrescu, who was backed by the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and placed second with roughly 22 percent.

The candidate of the governing Social Democratic Party, Daniel Băluță, finished third, despite having been favored in several pre-election opinion polls.

The result strengthens the position of Bolojan’s government at a fraught political moment. The prime minister is pushing through contentious austerity measures aimed at shrinking a budget deficit that has ballooned to 9 percent of gross domestic product. His plans include tax increases and cuts to public sector employment, moves that have triggered strong opposition and a no-confidence motion over proposed pension reforms scheduled for debate on Dec. 15.

“Beyond this victory, it’s probably a good thing that this coalition will continue,” Ciucu said following the vote. “The government has promised reforms, and it’s time to implement them. From my political position, I will help ensure these reforms are carried out.”

Bucharest was previously governed by independent liberal Nicușor Dan, who resigned earlier this year after winning Romania’s presidential election in May.

Romanian politics has been marked by turbulence since November 2024, when a little-known ultranationalist candidate surged to victory in the first round of the presidential race after a viral TikTok campaign. The results were later annulled amid allegations of Russian interference, and the country’s top court ordered a rerun of the election. Photo by seisdeagosto, Wikimedia commons.