Bucharest District 4 Mayor Daniel Baluta of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) would garner 25% of the votes if the election for the Bucharest City Hall were held next week, followed by MP Catalin Drula of the Save Romania Union (USR) and Bucharest District 6 Mayor Ciprian Ciucu of the National Liberal Party (PNL), both at 18%, reveals a CURS poll released on Sunday.
The poll was conducted between October 8 and 17 on a sample of 1,072 respondents representative of the adult population of Bucharest (18 years and older). The margin of error is ą3%, at a 95% confidence level.
According to CURS, Anca Alexandrescu (independent) is credited with 10%, and Cristian Popescu Piedone of the Nationalist Party for the Reformation of Romania (PNRR) at 9%.
Virgil Alexandru Zidaru (Makaveli) and Mihai Enache of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) each got 5%, followed by Vlad Gheorghe of the Justice and Respect in Europe for All Party (DREPT) and Ana Ciceala of the Health, Education, Nature, Sustainability Party (SENS), each at 3%.
For the General Council, USR would be in first place, with 22% of the votes, followed by PSD (21%) and AUR (21%). PNL would get 16%, and the Young People's Party and S.O.S. Romania 5% each, according to the CURS poll.
The Renewing Romania's European Project Party (REPER) stands at 4%, and the Nationalist Party for the Reformation of Romania at 3%.
More than half of the respondents (51%) believe that 2026 would be the right time to organise elections for a new general mayor of Bucharest because there is no money now. 28% say that it is not a priority and the acting mayor can remain, and 19% want the election to be held as soon as possible.
Of the PSD, PNL and USR voters, 22% believe that the parties in the coalition should file a common candidate for the position of general mayor, while 71% oppose this idea.
More than three-quarters (80%) of Bucharesters say that Romania is heading in the wrong direction, while only 17% believe that the country is on the right track.
At the same time, 31% of them believe that Bucharest is moving on the right track, while 65% say that things are going in the wrong direction.
The problems that should be solved as a priority by the City Hall are, according to the poll, the following: traffic and congestion (19%), standard of living (16%), hot water and heating (15%), cleanliness and sanitation (14%), pollution (12%) and healthcare, hospitals, medicines (10%), administrative and fiscal problems such as taxes and fees (6%), road conditions (4%), parking lots (2%) and public transport (1%).
Romania's incumbent President Nicusor Dan, himself a former Bucharest general mayor, has the highest rate of positive image (37%), but also a high rate of unfavourable opinions (60%). He is followed by Daniel Baluta (31% good image, 65% bad image) and Ciprian Ciucu (26% good, 67% bad image).
Cristian Popescu - Piedone has a good image of 25%, while leaders such as Catalin Drula and Sorin Grindeanu are positively viewed by 22% of respondents.
Bringing up the rear are Diana Sosoaca (18%) and Stelian Bujduveanu (16%).
According to CURS, their October 2025 survey highlights an urban climate dominated by discontent and scepticism, both nationally and locally. Bucharest residents complain about persistent problems of infrastructure, traffic and district heating, and the political scene is fragmented, without leaders commending a majority support. The competition for the Bucharest City Hall is open, with Baluta slightly ahead, followed by Drula and Ciprian Ciucu, but without a clear favourite. Politically, USR, PSD and AUR dominate the local scene, while the rest of the parties are below the 10% threshold, CURS also reports.
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