In theory, his political pedigree gives him a broad voter base, as well as party machinery and regional bastions that could prove a formidable force.
“Together, [the PNL and PSD] have more than 75 percent of the mayors in Romania,” said Remus Ștefureac, a political analyst and director of polling company Inscop Research.
Small-town and village mayors can mobilize constituents to vote for their party’s candidates by highlighting easier access to funding for local projects if the country is led by one of their own.
Regional politics can be a cutthroat business in Romania. Some local politicians use threats to slash the minimum guaranteed income from those who don’t support them. Others can offer money, often around €20, particularly in villages, for people to vote for their candidate. Although these practices are illegal, authorities have often turned a blind eye.
One person, who was granted anonymity for fear of retribution, described how exactly such tactics were used to get tens of thousands of people to come out in support of Antonescu at a rally in a city in southern Romania a few weeks ago. POLITICO contacted the organizers of that rally, but received no immediate response.
Antonescu’s three-party support could also be a weakness, however. It is difficult for a single candidate to appeal to the supporters of three individual parties, said Ștefureac; even more so as PSD and PNL have typically been enemies.
