The capital city Bucharest, seen as a stronghold of the right wing until the local elections of June 2012, is this time receiving special attention from the Social Liberal Union, whereas the Right Romania Alliance sent many of its top candidates elsewhere in the country. However, politicians like Teodor Paleologu and Anca Boagiu are running for MP seats in Bucharest, while Social Liberal Union sent Eugen Nicolaescu, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Mircea Geoana or Dan Voiculescu in Bucharest’s constituencies. Social Liberal co-leader Crin Antonescu, president of the National Liberal Party, has given up the candidacy in Bucharest, and chose to try for a new Senator seat in Teleorman County, in the south.

Also in the south, in Targu Jiu, his Social Liberal partner, Prime Minister Victor Ponta, is competing for a Deputy seat against controversial media tycoon Dan Diaconescu, leader of the non-parliamentary Party of the People. Political observers believe this December’s elections will mark a new chapter in the battle between the Social Liberal Union and the Right Romania Alliance, particularly after the referendum on the impeachment of President Traian Basescu, initiated this June by the current parliamentary majority.

At that time, most citizens voted in favour of the impeachment, yet the turnout threshold was not reached, so the president could stay in office. Analysts estimate that the party that might wing this year’s electoral race will be the Party of the People.

The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania also stands sound chances of making the national parliament, as it has for the past two decades. According to the latest polls, the Social Liberal Union is expected to win over 50% of the votes, followed by the Right Romania Alliance with roughly 25%, the Party of the People with 10% and the Hungarian Union with 5%.

We remind our listeners that Romania has a two-chamber Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies with 346 seats and the Senate with 143 seats. MPs are elected to four-year terms in office, in a mixed electoral system that combines uninominal voting with proportional representation.