section_path: Early political career/2012 local elections
section_name: 2012 local elections
paragraph_text: 2012 local elections
  
  Dan announced his candidacy for Mayor of Bucharest in November 2011 at a café on Arthur Verona Street, with just a few guests, including Theodor Paleologu, a historian and Member of Parliament.
  
  For gathering the 36,000 signatures needed for his candidacy, having the backing of no party, he relied on a network of volunteers organised on Facebook. On 22 April 15 bands and musicians performed pro-bono at Arenele Romane for Dan's campaign in order to help him gather the signatures. During the 12-hour-long concert, volunteers gathered 4,000 signatures.