Romanian center-right presidential candidate withdraws to support reformist leader Elena Lasconi
<p>Presidential candidate Ludovic Orban, now the head of a center-right political vehicle but once the leader of the Liberal Party (PNL), announced he was stepping down in favor of reformist leader Elena Lasconi (USR) in a move aimed at triggering a consolidation of the center-right forces under a single candidate, several days before the first round of the presidential ballot on November 24.</p>

<p>The move may be too little and too late to consolidate the center-right electorate under a single candidate aimed at balancing the force of nationalist leader George Simion, who is seen by many, for various reasons, in the second round of the presidential elections besides prime minister Marcel Ciolacu.</p>

<p>Ludovic Orban’s gesture, the sole response so far to the invitation launched by Liberal (PNL) local leader Ilie Bolojan for the unification of the center-right candidates, was received with sympathy by the electorate – but it is not sure whether Orban’s few potential voters will change the balance of forces in favor of USR leader Elena Lasconi. The reformist leader, who took over the position that came with the presidential candidate hat after the disappointing results of her party in the European elections, is facing problems in gathering even the support of her own party’s electorate.</p>

<p>Liberal leader Nicolae Ciuca (PNL) and independent candidate Mircea Geoana (ex-PSD, ex-NATO) are the other center-right candidates, besides Lasconi, who should resign in favor of the strongest of them. The problem is that the electoral polls carried out by each of the three indicate themselves as the best possible center-right candidate, leaving little room for stepping down.</p>

<p>In the latest relevant electoral developments, Nicolae Ciuca strengthened his call for the electorate with “liberal and conservative” values, while Mircea Geoana continued launching controversial statements. In one of his latest statements, he affirmed that Ukraine can anyways not recover all the territory occupied by Russia and should better accept this.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Long before, as a NATO official, Geoana was regarded as the leading presidential candidate but now he fights neck and neck with Campulung Muscel mayor Elena Lasconi and Liberal leader Nicolae Ciuca (with very limited political experience) for a place in the second round besides Social Democrats’ leader Marcel Ciolacu.</p>

<p><em>iulian@romania-insider.com</em></p>

<p><em>(Photo source:&nbsp;<meta charset="UTF-8" />Inquam Photos /&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inquamphotos.com/users/octavganea">Octav&nbsp;Ganea</a>)</em></p>