Ethnic German emerges as a top challenger for Romanian president

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - The ethnic German mayor of a Transylvanian city has emerged as leftist Prime Minister Victor Ponta's strongest challenger in a forthcoming Romanian presidential election, an opinion poll showed on Monday.

With less than four months before the Nov. 2 vote to replace President Traian Basescu, neither centre-right Sibiu Mayor Klaus Iohannis, nor Ponta have announced bids. But a challenge by Iohannis, supporter of economic reform backed by international lenders under Brussels umbrella, would focus attention on a German minority settled in the area since the Middle Ages.