Elena Lasconi is one of the two remaining finalists in the race for Romania’s presidency, and the leader of center-right political party USR (Union for Saving Romania).
In the second round of the elections, she is facing extremist candidate Calin Georgescu, in what is expected to be a very close battle. For pro-Europeans, human rights activists, and liberals and democrats in general, Elena Lasconi is the beacon of hope.
But who is Elena Lasconi?
A former journalist turned politician, she is the mayor of the small city of Câmpulung and USR’s leader. As a 2024 presidential candidate, she emphasizes justice reform, labor tax reduction, economic reforms and better public infrastructure.
Of course, the summary above is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to get truly in-depth, you should read on to learn more about the strong woman who might become Romania’s first female president in history.
Elena Lasconi’s Personal Life
Born on April 20, 1972, in Hațeg, Hunedoara County, she initially built her reputation as a journalist at the national TV station Pro TV, where she was a correspondent, war reporter, news presenter, and producer. She started her career in radio, at local stations in Hunedoara county.
She has a daughter from her first marriage and is currently married to her second husband who, ironically, is named Catalin Georgescu (he has a very similar name to her presidential opponent, Calin Georgescu). Talk about an unfortunate coincidence.
Academically, Lasconi holds a degree in economics from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, after completing the courses from a private university in Deva.
Elena Lasconi’s Switch to Politics
Elena Lasconi became a USR member in 2018, and became the mayor of Campulung City in 2020. She was re-elected in 2024 with around 71% of the votes, further proving that the people in Campulung were very happy with her activity as a mayor.
In 2024, she was also elected USR’s leader and their Presidential candidate. She managed to perform surprisingly well in the first round of the Presidential elections, qualifying for the second round ahead of Marcel Ciolacu, the expected winner of the elections (who didn’t even qualify for the second round).
As a presidential candidate, Elena Lasconi built her campaign on a commitment to advancing democratic, EU-friendly principles and ensuring justice and fairness for all citizens.
She advocates for a government that prioritizes the needs of the people over political interests. Her campaign centers on creating a Romania where essential services like education (with a switch of focus to practical skills), healthcare, and public infrastructure function effectively.
Her vision extends to supporting decent incomes for Romanians by lowering salary taxes – which currently take almost 50% of Romanians’ income.
Her plans include strengthening Romania’s international relationships, particularly with NATO and the European Union. Lasconi’s campaign reflects a clear vision for a modern, fair, and inclusive Romania that serves its citizens with integrity and purpose.
Her policies may not be flashy, but they hit at the heart of what most Romanians care about: fairness, respect, and opportunity. And let’s be honest – after years of political disappointments, these are refreshing priorities.
Elena Lasconi’s LGBTQ+ Controversy
No political career is without its hiccups, and Elena’s is no exception. Back in 2018, she voted in favor of a referendum defining family strictly as a union between a man and a woman. This move caused an uproar, especially from her daughter who is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and openly bisexual.
The fallout was messy. Elena withdrew from USR’s list of candidates for the European Parliament (apparently forced by the party’s president at the time), and her daughter publicly criticized her, saying that she’s shocked and disgusted (source).
Elena Lasconi has since changed her stance, saying she would no longer vote like she did. The mother-daughter duo has reconciled, and her daughter even campaigned for her during the presidential elections, saying she’s proud of the woman Elena has become.
What’s Next for Elena Lasconi?
Elena’s journey to the presidency is anything but smooth sailing. Her opponent, Calin Georgescu, represents a sharp ideological divide, and the race is razor-close in my opinion, putting Romania in a huge crisis.
She already has public support from other important political parties – like PNL who said she has their support without even negotiation; UDMR who says they would never support extremists; and many other political parties.
The biggest political party in Romania, PSD, is reportedly divided and hasn’t made a decision yet. The simple fact that they are even considering showing their support for the extremist candidate shows why many Romanians want to remove them from power (but without much luck).
Final Thoughts
Elena Lasconi is proof that politics isn’t just for career politicians. She’s a journalist-turned-leader, a mother, a reformist, and maybe, just maybe, Romania’s next president.
She represents the hope of pro-Europeans across the country, who see her as the leader capable of steering Romania toward a progressive and democratic future. But if we’re looking at some of the maneuvers on the political stage – especially PSD’s surprising decision not to publicly support her already – it’s not going to be easy.
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I didn’t get notification of this post for some reason. Elena Lasconi would have been an excellent President of Romania.
She obviously has the capacity to change her views when they are in the wrong. She and her party, the USR, stand for lower taxes, judicial reform, better infrastructure, and improved health care. On the international front, she supports the EU and NATO. These positions used to be those of the PNL Party, the one that the current President Klaus Iohanis belongs to.
I am glad that the PNL came out in support of Elena Lasconi in the second round. That the PSD hasn’t endorsed her is no surprise, since they have been working overtime with the Constitutional Court of Romania (the CCR) to overturn the first round election in which Lasconi squeezed out the PSD candidate Ciolacu. It now appears they have succeeded, and we won’t get a Lasconi presidency.
I agree – as things stand right now, I don’t think we will see Lasconi as president, but one from PSD. If rumors are true, it will not be Ciolacu, who is set to become the country’s Prime Minister.
But apart from Lasconi and a few other candidates, we’ll have different people running in the elections. It’s also unclear whether or not Calin Georgescu will be allowed to run again (in which case, he will win again). There are many scenarios at the moment, but it is clear that Lasconi has solid reasons to be unhappy.