(Bloomberg) -- Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said he’ll be a candidate in presidential elections later this year, a move that may strain ties between the two main parties of the governing coalition.
The 56-year-old leader announced his bid on Tuesday in a audio recording sent to his party members and obtained by the G4Media news website. The Social Democratic party press office confirmed the authenticity of the recording when contacted by Bloomberg.
The decision to run follows pressure from his Social Democrats to put himself forward for a post that the party hasn’t occupied in two decades.
“I decided to run for president and I’m confident that together we’ll manage to win the presidency after 20 years,” Ciolacu said in the message. “I will present my plan during the party congress on Saturday as Romania needs stability and balance.”
Ciolacu’s move pits him against National Liberal Party leader Nicolae Ciuca, who has already announced his presidential bid. The Social Democrats and Liberals are political rivals who teamed up in 2021 to form a power-sharing government, a construction they’ve said they may continue following general elections.
The contest to succeed President Klaus Iohannis will take place on Nov. 24 with a potential second round on Dec. 8, while parliamentary elections to determine the next government will be held on Dec. 1, Romania’s national day.
The top contender for the presidency is NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, a former Social Democratic leader who may run as an independent. He’s currently leading in the latest polls, followed by Ciolacu in second place.
The role of the head of state is mostly ceremonial in Romania. Still, the president does have the power to name the prime minister, can dissolve parliament and represents the nation at summits in the European Union and abroad. The president is also the army chief and can block laws by sending them back to parliament or challenge them in the Constitutional Court.
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