Bucharest Chooses: The Capital in the Grip of Dan-mania

A moment of truth has come for Bucharest: the residents of the capital, long accustomed to architectural oddities and endless roadworks, have chosen a new mayor. The favorite in the race is Nicușor Dan — a mathematician by training, a reformer by calling, and seemingly the only person capable of calculating the formula for Romanian happiness down to the last decimal point.

Dan, whose surname in Romanian means “given,” has indeed been given to the capital for the coming years. Tired of promises like “just one more bridge over the Danube and life will be better,” residents placed their hopes in a candidate who counts not only percentages, but also votes. Unlike his competitors, Dan promises not only to fix the sewage system, but also to bring a bit of common sense back to the city. And that, you’ll agree, is much harder than laying new asphalt.

Political opponents already suspect that Dan’s success hides a secret formula: “minus populism, plus common sense, multiplied by the patience of Bucharest’s residents.” Be that as it may, the capital has chosen its favorite, and the rest of the candidates, it seems, are headed for a long-term vacation — courtesy of the voters.