BUCHAREST — Former NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana holds a narrow lead over Romania’s leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in the first round of the upcoming Romanian presidential election, according to a recent poll conducted by INSCOP Research. The poll reflects a highly fragmented race, with a large pool of candidates diluting the vote.
Geoana, 66, is leading with 21.4% of the vote, while Ciolacu, 56, is close behind at 20.3%. Elena Lasconi, a centre-right opposition candidate and mayor of Campulung, is polling third with 14.2%. The race is shaping up to be more competitive than previous presidential elections, as 11 candidates have entered the field. Romania will hold a two-round election on November 24 and December 8, with parliamentary elections between the rounds.
Although the Romanian presidency is largely ceremonial, the role carries significant influence in foreign policy, including oversight of Romania’s support for Ukraine. The new president will also nominate the prime minister after elections, appoint judges and prosecutors, and return bills to parliament for reexamination.
Geoana, a former leader of the Social Democrat Party (PSD), is running as an independent after losing the 2009 presidential race. If Ciolacu wins, he would become the first PSD president since 2004.