Therefore, the
de facto winner of the previous Romanian local elections was the Social Democratic Party (PSD), in spite of the
de jure one which was the National Liberal Party (PNL), according to popular vote and thereby overall political score.
Furthermore, the
2020 USR-PLUS Alliance (now simply legally known as
USR short for Save Romania Union) came in third with respect to popular vote yet failed to obtain an important nationwide representation (for mayors, local and municipal councillors, and county councillors alike). Meanwhile, the PNL enlarged itself at local political level nationwide with the integral absorption of the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) during late March 2022.[1]
The main six political contenders in the forthcoming Romanian local elections will be the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR; formerly USR PLUS), the
Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ), the
People's Movement Party (PMP), and
PRO Romania (PRO).
Most opinion polls showed the Social Democratic Party (PSD) as either the main or overall winning party in several major cities and towns across Romania, including, most notably, the capital,
Bucharest.
In
Bucharest, incumbent
mayorNicușor Dan has recently expressed his intention to be a candidate again, hoping that he will be supported by the main
centre-right political parties which previously endorsed him in the 2020 Romanian local elections.[2][3] However, as of October 2023, the National Liberal Party (PNL) already declined its support for Nicușor Dan for another term as Mayor of Bucharest (PGMB).[4] At the same time, Dan announced he will run as an independent candidate, as in 2020, and that he hopes he will be supported by as many centre-right political parties as possible.
In stark contrast, several other major cities are shown to favour Save Romania Union (USR) in their public administration thus far and others the National Liberal Party (PNL). The current political trend, according to the polls, is that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) is the dominant political party in the south and east of Romania (i.e. in
Muntenia,
Oltenia,
Dobrogea, and
Western Moldavia respectively), the National Liberal Party (PNL) in the centre and north of the country (i.e. in
Transylvania and
Bukovina), and Save Romania Union (USR), sporadically at urban level in the south-western part of the country, more specifically in
Banat.
Current distribution of administrative mandates at local political level in Romania
In the table below are statistically represented the vast majority of the administrative mandates won nationwide in Romania by the following 12
political parties (both major and minor) after the
2020 Romanian local elections (based on their total number of elected representatives) as well as their current distribution of administrative mandates previously won in Romania in 2020 at local political level, according to the 4 main categories as follows (statistics correct as of late October 2023):
In the table below are highlighted the major electoral scores (or results) obtained by the 6 largest
political parties in
Romania at the previous local elections which here held in
September 2020:
In the table below are represented the prospective results of the 6 main political parties active in Romania at local political level for the forthcoming local elections which are going to be held in 2024:
^PNL had entirely absorbed ALDE during late March 2022, therefore the figures associated here with PNL include seats previously won by ALDE in 2020 as well. In addition, the figures here also include a
party-switching mayor from AUR who subsequently joined the party in June 2022.
^AUR lost one of its three mayors in June 2022. The respective mayor was from
Vrancea County and switched, at that time, to PNL.[5]
^PNL had entirely absorbed ALDE during late March 2022, therefore the figures associated here with PNL include seats previously won by ALDE in 2020 as well.