ANALYSIS (II). Bacau elects its mayor on June 9. Viziteu broke it with PNL, Ivancea enters the race, AUR has 3 options

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The local elections for Bacău City Hall, from June 9, 2024, will be primarily about individuals, candidates, and only then about parties. Although it will weigh heavily, the political vote will only contribute to a part of a candidate’s success. The personal achievements of those who will enter the race will also be discussed.

PHOTO: Valentin Ivancea, Sergiu Sechelariu, Lucian Daniel Stanciu Viziteu, Cristinel Manolache, Cristian Ghingheș, Romeo Stavarache, Liviu Miroșeanu and Relu Damian

The political configuration, 3 months before the elections, is unclear, the negotiations have not been completed, we have parties that are analyzing 2-3 candidates for Bacău City Hall, some even from other parties, but ready to change their ways at any time. On the “right” there will be a high density of candidates, while on the “left” the running lanes will be sparser.

Ivancea could pull Viziteu’s doormat

Valentin Ivanceathe current PSD president of the County Council, has the best chance of being the new mayor of Bacău, after June 9, 2024. With or without the support of the PNL, the social democrat has something to present to the voters, after the mandate at the head of the CJ, where coordinated more investments in the municipality of Bacău than the City Hall led by Viziteu.

The municipality of Bacău is not traditionally a fiefdom of the PSD, social-democratic mayors being elected only in 2000 and 2016. However, the PSD could bring to fruition the collapse of the “Viziteu” administration, as it did in 2016, after the mayor Romeo Stavarache (PNL). If he does not make an alliance for the elections, he will have to do it afterwards, for a stable majority in the Bacău Local Council.

Viziteu missed everything

Lucian Daniel Stanciu Visitor – The United Right (USR-Forța Dreptei-PMP) has already started its campaign, after canceling through hostile statements its last possibility to accept PNL as a candidate. It could be said that on Saturday, when he put on his vest with the USR and went out on the campaign trail, together with his subordinates from the City Hall, he lost the elections, because he does not have enough political support. The mayor in office will also be analyzed personally, and the failure to fulfill the promises in 2020 will weigh the hardest. Lowering taxes, the stadium, the urban train and changing the face of the neighborhoods turned out to be words thrown around to get votes. The Viziteu administration rather went against its own promises.

The desolate aspect of Bacău will still matter to the public, the failure of European projects and, surprise, the many criminal files opened by the administration installed in 2020. The people of Bacău will still remember the employments among the USR, the “Apartment” file, the contracts given to USR leaders, the countless ” studies” paid from the budget, the failure to introduce paid parking, the move of the headquarters to the Blue House, at an exorbitant rent, the withdrawal of the duties of the USR vice mayor, the accident with the Duster șamd.

All in all, Viziteu had a mandate “full” of scandals, which he tried to cover with propaganda and claims without a cover. He was hostile to the press, against whom he opened several lawsuits and from whom he is demanding huge sums of money in the Court. Even if he wins a new mandate, having the advantage of the “incumbent mayor”, he will face a heterogeneous and hostile City Council. The small alliance that now supports him will be difficult to shake off, because he will have fewer commons to share.

If he loses the elections, Viziteu will most likely be “recovered” and sent to Parliament.

Miroseanu, candidate after 4 years

Liviu Miroseanu (PNL) could run on behalf of the liberals, for the post of mayor of the municipality of Bacău. He also tried in 2020, when he resigned from the post of prefect precisely for this, but was stopped by the PNL-USR-PLUS alliance. After a term as vice mayor and a more hostile “alliance” with mayor Viziteu, Miroșeanu will not be able to present himself with the success of his project, the redevelopment of the area around the Narcisa passage. Initiated in 2021, the project was shelved and has not been implemented even now, only the start order for the design was given.

If they go on joint lists, PNL and PSD will support Valentin Ivancea.

AUR are 3 variants

Party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) has no shortage of candidacy offers, being a strong magnet for politicians left without a party. The former PSD minister Lucian Șova tried to obtain the support of the AUR, but was refused, the talks with the independent Dorin Chirilescu also failed. In Bucharest, the local leadership sent three candidates: Sergiu Sechelariu, Relu Damian and Romeo Stavarache. Damian is the favorite in the race, and if he is Sechelariu, he will “pinch” the PSD electorate.

Sekelariu will have a party

Sergiu Sechelariu (PMP) will run again for Bacău City Hall. At the moment, his party is allied in the United Right with that of mayor Viziteu (USR), but the waters are yet to part. Sechelariu has the option of an independent candidacy, but rather he will seek to go supported by a political party. There are rumors about one of the parties that declares itself “green”, but it is also talked about in the AUR party.

Sechelariu has already started his campaign, through media appearances and field visits.

Gingheș goes green

Cristian Ghingheș, current deputy mayor of USR and the one without whose support Viziteu would not have won in 2020, has already announced that he will no longer represent USR, due to repeated attempts to exclude him. He will most likely go with a new, progressive and “green” party. During the three and a half years of his mandate, he opposed the slippages of the Viziteu administration, for which he was left without attributions.

Manolache, a new attempt

Cristinel Manolache (PER) will try its chances again for Bacău City Hall. In 2016, he came second in the election race, obtaining 16.44 percent of the vote, a performance he did not repeat in 2020. Manolache has already started his campaign around the city, is reporting the breakdown of the water network and has meetings with voters. In the City Council, he is one of the most vocal elected to address the local executive.

Stavarache, the fifth time

Romeo Stavarache, the former PNL mayor, who had 3 mandates, in 2004-2016, could run for the fifth time. This time, he could represent Dan Voiculescu’s party, PUSL, but there are unconfirmed rumors about negotiations with other parties. Stavarache could be stopped from running by the bribery conviction he has on his CV.

Dorin Chirilescu remains independent

After appearing at an AUR meeting, Dorin Chirilescu will again run independently for the post of mayor of Bacău. As a local elected official, he stood out in the last 4 years through well-articulated criticisms of the City Hall leadership and fought for the granting of aid for newborns.

The great unknowns of the small percentages

The people of Bacău could have a choice of other candidates, independent or from other parties. For example, the former minister and leader of the municipal PSD, Lucian Șova, could try to “bandage” his wounded pride in 2020, when he was left out of the parliamentary list. In recent years, he ran a campaign on Facebook and on local televisions, being extremely critical of Mayor Viziteu, but also of PSD leaders.

And the SOS party, of Diana Soșoacă, could submit lists of candidates. Rated at 5-8 percent nationally, the senator’s party still has no official representatives in Bacău.

A candidature of the former mayor Cosmin Necula, whose trial is not completed, on the part of Pro Romania is not excluded. The situation is complicated by the announcement of an alliance with AUR decided by Victor Ponta.