Acrimony grows as previous heads of government encounter a criminal charge, this time for the deteriorated Romanian economy and accumulated budget deficit.
In a dramatic turn of events, Vlad Gheorghe, leader of the extra-parliamentary opposition party DREPT and former member of the Save Romania Union (USR), has filed a criminal complaint against former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on July 3, 2025. The complaint accuses Ciolacu of **lying about the state of Romania's economy and the budget deficit** during his time in office.
Gheorghe alleges that Ciolacu deliberately misled Parliament and the public, hiding the true severity of the economic situation and budget shortfall. Specifically, Gheorghe asserts that Ciolacu violated the law on ministerial responsibility, which criminalizes false statements concerning government financial matters, punishable by 1 to 5 years imprisonment.
The complaint also accuses Ciolacu of squandering billions of euros from the state budget without transparency or justification, blocking necessary reforms, and favouring party clientele networks over national interests. These allegations come amid Romania's current government implementing tax hikes and spending reforms to address the growing deficit and avoid a financial crisis.
The criminal complaint centers on Ciolacu’s purported **deception and mismanagement related to public finances**, accusing him of fiscal manipulation and obstructing economic reforms, contributing to Romania’s economic difficulties.
Ciolacu, however, denies the accusations of economic mismanagement and claims that the fiscal reform measures are part of the National Resilience and Recovery Plan. He defends progressive taxation and notes that 80% of the budget deficit went into investments. Ciolacu's party, the Social Democrats (PSD), are part of the new government but deny responsibility for the deficit.
During his tenure, 180,000 new jobs were created, and the GDP grew by 46% in 3 years. Funds were allocated for infrastructure projects, scholarships, pensions, and increased salaries for public workers.
In response to the accusations, Ciolacu has posted a long defense on Facebook, disputing the allegations of criminal mismanagement made by Vlad Gheorghe. He maintains that budget executions are public and anyone can check how public money was spent.
This is not the first time that Ciolacu has faced such allegations. In the past, he has been criticised for his handling of the economy, with some claiming that his policies have led to an increase in the budget deficit. However, Ciolacu has consistently defended his economic policies and achievements during his tenure.
The current centrist government, which includes Ciolacu's party, has unveiled tax hikes and spending reforms to curb the growing budget deficit. Gheorghe wants the recovery of the damage, especially from those who directly benefited from the public money.
The outcome of this criminal complaint remains to be seen, but it is clear that it will add to the ongoing political debate about the management of Romania's economy and the role of political parties in shaping economic policy.
[1] "Former Prime Minister Faces Criminal Complaint Over Economic Mismanagement" - Romania Today, July 4, 2025. [2] "Vlad Gheorghe Accuses Marcel Ciolacu of Lying About Economy and Budget Deficit" - The Bucharest Observer, July 4, 2025. [3] "The Case Against Marcel Ciolacu: Deception and Mismanagement of Public Finances" - The Romanian Times, July 5, 2025.
- The criminal complaint against former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, filed by Vlad Gheorghe, involves allegations of deception and mismanagement related to public finances, which is a matter of policy-and-legislation and crime-and-justice, as it concerns fiscal manipulation, false statements regarding government financial matters, and violation of the law on ministerial responsibility.
- The ongoing political debate in Romania concerning the management of the economy is influenced by the criminal complaint against Marcel Ciolacu, accusing him of economic mismanagement and lying about the state of the economy and budget deficit during his tenure, which has raised concerns about politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, as well as the role of political parties in shaping economic policy.
