Anca Alexandrescu, the independent candidate supported by AUR in the elections for the capital's mayor's office, almost tied with the PSD candidate, Daniel Băluță, in first place. This is the surprise of the latest opinion poll conducted by the AtlasIntel institute for HotNews and published on Monday.
In a dialogue with HotNews, Cristian Tudor Popescu says that “it is not excluded” that Anca Alexandrescu will win, even if “it does not have a high degree of probability”.
“Beyond this AtlasIntel poll, which shows her ahead of Ciucu, neck and neck with Baluță, Anca Alexandrescu's rise in the polls is a real thing. Why is this happening? It's about Mr. Drula. Mr. Drula is an arrogant loser who is stubborn for his own benefit, it's not even a benefit, it's a stupid stubbornness to continue to compete, even though he clearly has no chance And then it would have been a responsible gesture on his part, being a right-wing candidate who is in alliance with the PNL. To withdraw and support Ciprian Ciucu. That's how he manages to take away his votes,” says Cristian Tudor Popescu.
EXCLUSIVE. AtlasIntel survey for HotNews: Anca Alexandrescu is growing strongly and is practically tied for first place. A right-wing candidate is also running. An increasingly close battle in the race for Bucharest. Some important clarifications related to the survey
In the opinion of the journalist, Anca Alexandrescu's past and ties with the PSD do not affect her image as an anti-system candidate.
“Anca Alexandrescu represents PSD, like Băluță, only she makes a combination. The accusations brought against her, that why does she come to say that she is the candidate of the anti-system, when she was with Dragnea, with Năstase, with Ponta, with Dăncilă and with all the PSD – these are not a disadvantage for her, she is voted as a PSD-ist, she is voted by PSD-ists, having in addition to Băluță a speech Romanian-populist, which Băluță does not have. Băluță sat down in a positive speech, without attacks. In this situation, Alexandrescu is also a PSDist, although he did not openly support it. This gives him a win from both sides,” says Cristian Tudor Popescu.
“The Third Element”. Ana Ciceala's surprise
In the fight for the votes of the right, CTP also appoints the SENS representative, who is a centre-left candidate.
“A third element is Ana Ciceală, who has no less than 8.4%. Again, I don't know if she really has 8.4%, but she has a lot compared to the initial position from which she started. Ana Ciceală is an anti-system candidate. She is a candidate more towards the anti-systemic left, let's call her, but she takes votes from Drula. She expresses the voters' anti-system preference. On the left side – Ciceală, on the Romanian-Georgist side – Anca Alexandrescu”, comments the journalist.
He also explained why he thinks that Ana Ciceală is taking votes from Drula.
“Even if he is in the governing coalition now, the idea of anti-system has been printed on the USR ballot since 2019, from the European Parliament. He was initially seen as an alternative to the PSD and PNL, and he has remained of this stamp, as long as he has left. That is why Ciceăla takes votes, on the idea of anti-system, and the USR does not have a fully specified political component. They are a combination of right and left, as they were in many situations. There are some who have nothing to do with the right wing, with the American left, and so on. So Ciceala is an anti-system, in particular. I don't think he is taking votes from Ciucu, and from there he got enough percentages, says CTP.
“It would be a solution, if Drula doesn't withdraw, to convince Ciceala”
In the opinion of the journalist, Cătălin Drula should withdraw in favor of Ciucu. If Drula would not accept this, Ana Ciceala could do it.
“It would be a solution, if Drula doesn't withdraw, for Ciceala to be convinced. Vlad Gheorghe also has about 5%. He could explicitly withdraw in favor of Ciucu. Not just withdraw, but be explicit in favor of Ciucu,” the journalist said.
And while it says a withdrawal may be a solution, CTP says it won't happen. “Drula is not withdrawing under any circumstances. I think neither is Ciceala, because she has now caught a clot and does not want to give it, because it is hers. She is young and is a base, a springboard for the future. Only Vlad Gheorghe can give in in favor of Ciucu”, concluded CTP.
Băluță and Alexandrescu want to lead Bucharest, but they did not come to an invitation from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism / Their silence is counting on a big surprise on December 7
