The USR leadership withdrew the support of Elena Lasconi. A late move, because on the ballot the name it remains accompanied by the USR logo.
Elena Lasconi (image of December 2024)
The informal leader of the formation, the mayor of Timișoara, Dominic Fritz, explained immediately after the decision of the Political Bureau of the USR that “there was no way” in which Elena Lasconi will reach the second round of the presidentials that take place in May. Fritz urged Lasconi “to show responsibility and to support the only candidate who has a chance to enter the second round of the pro-European, Nicușor Dan”. USR is based on having an informed and rational electorate, which will understand the logic of Elena Lasconi withdrawal, even if she hoped that this solution would be found earlier.
The move made by the Union Save Romania (USR) was taken with only two votes against, and the party leadership also decided to stop the financing of Elena Lasconi and the transfer of money to Nicușor Dan, which in all opinion polls is in second or third. Next, Nicușor Dan is rated with the first chance by Polymarket, who foresee the results of the US elections and has a platform where investors can bet on different future, economic or political events. In the Polymarket graphs, Nicușor Dan is the only one with a tendency to grow with a share of 43%, followed by George Simion with 29%and Victor Ponta and Crin Antonescu, both with 14%. Elena Lasconi appears on this platform with a prediction of only 1%.
Dominic Fritz argued that withdrawing support for Lasconi is “a gesture of responsibility” and “a recognition of the very dangerous situation in which Romania is located”. A survey conducted at the USR command between April 2-7 shows Elena Lasconi in fifth place, with 4.1% of the votes, according to DW sources. The ranking has George Simion with 40.8%, followed by Victor Ponta with 20.4%, Nicușor Dan with 16.9%and Crin Antonescu quoted with 14.5%. This last research was, apparently, the last proof that Lasconi not only has no chance of repeating the performance from the November 2024 presidents, when he ranked second, but also takes valuable points from the score that Nicușor Dan can get.
In November last year, he took a situation that around 300,000 votes from PSD (Marcel Ciolacu) were given to Radical candidate George Simion, while PNL indirectly paid a campaign for Călin Georgescu and enough votes from PNL (Nicolae Ciucă) went to Georgescu. After all the evidence of frauding the election campaign in favor of this extremist also helped by Moscow and Beijing to reach Cotroceni, Lasconi said several times that, in fact, the Constitutional Court canceled last year just to block her ascension.
On the other hand, Elena Lasconi who received from the USR Congress the turn to the presidentials of 2024 refused to convene the supreme forum of the party to take a new term. Therefore, the decision of the Political Committee follows, which will beat the decision of the Executive Bureau. Lasconi to complain before the party was asking him to withdraw that he was under “great pressure”, that the party's barons forced his departure. In addition, she predicted that all four candidates who are before her in polls “prepare Romania for a dictatorship”, including Nicușor Dan, who “will be the puppet president, a more unhappy variant of Iohannis”.
Elena Lasconi has announced that she does not withdraw and is already encouraged by some news TVs to remain in this direction, because in this way it helps Antonescu and Ponta to remain in position.
Going further into the campaign through all the television studios that cultivate it, because it does show, it is possible that Elena Lasconi may gather on her side a few percent. The theme of Elena Lasconi's campaign will become “alone against the system” and “alone against all”. With the help of his light language, he would not be excluded to take from George Simion's voters or even from Diana Şoșoaca.
Lasconi, slogans with no plans
At a debate last week, when she was asked why she would be better than Nicușor Dan, he replied directly “because they are damaged.” Then, all the advertising clips on the social networks present it as an ordinary woman, who struggles to pay rates, to buy a better kitchen robot, to cook not only for the family, but also for friends, to promise the exit of the hospitals, of the schools in the province. So many slogans behind which there are no plans will continue to be spoken, in the hope that they will continue to attract voters on its side. If she stays in the race, could her husband work be endangered? He works at the USR parliamentary group, which could be extra pressure for Elena Lasconi.
If it is stubborn to stay, Lasconi will become the perfect victim of this presidential campaign, will pose in the only woman with potential who has been removed from the race by some limited men, who do not see beyond figures. It will be the housewife who tries to save all the other housewives, she will try to prove that she is the only one who struggles to cut the end of the dragon behind the system, will be the ordinary and brave woman who goes to profession.
Sabina Fati – Deutsche Welle
