Presidential contender in Romania rakes in most financial contributions for election campaign
Romania's presidential race is heating up, and the candidates are racing to gather funds for their campaigns. On April 11, it was revealed that Crin Antonescu, backed by the ruling coalition, raised a whopping RON 20 million (€4 million) for his campaign.
The Social Democratic Party contributed a substantial sum of RON 15 million to Antonescu's war chest, followed by UDMR with RON 2.4 million. Notably, Antonescu's former party, the National Liberal Party, only managed to raise RON 2 million. It's worth noting that the Social Democrats have been quiet about the sources of their funds, but NGO Expert Forum has claimed that a significant portion comes from private donors, rather than party subsidies.
Meanwhile, far-right party AUR's leader, George Simion, reported gathering RON 5 million in loans. Independent candidates Victor Ponta, Nicusor Dan, Silviu Predoiu, John-Ion Banu-Muscel, Lavinia Șandru, and Daniel Funeriu have all declared smaller amounts, from RON 80,000 to RON 10 million.
Expert Forum has observed a rising trend among parties to report more and more contributions from their own income in order to receive reimbursement and conserve subsidies for other expenses. The contributions from independent candidates in the first week of the campaign totaled RON 13.8 million, a RON 10 million increase from the first week of the 2024 campaign.
The Romanian electoral landscape is a complex one, with a mix of legal fundraising methods and reported violations. Candidates, especially independent ones, often face scrutiny over their funding sources and the transparency of their campaigns. Despite investigations into undeclared funds, foreign interference, and GDPR breaches, the systemic failures in enforcement have allowed illegal practices to persist, such as influencer payoffs and extremist rhetoric.
(Photo: Nicusor Dan, George Simion, Victor Ponta, Crin Antonescu on Facebook)
[1] https://www.romania-insider.com/antonescu-20-million-for-romania-presidential-campaign/85103/[2] https://www.evz.ro/politica/comisia-raportului-closingshop-banii-neobirositi-dati-candidati-alegeri-generale-2024-150270[3] https:// www.casadeiibz.ro/politica/campania-2024-stergerea-prelacurilor-financiare/[4] https://www.agerpres.ro/english/news/bucuresti/a_bucuresti-urma-sa_i_se_mutueze_trecerea_departamentelor_alesitoare-n_bucuresti- pentru_aspectul_monitorizat-n-domeniul-telecomunicatiilor-id_4165320
- Crin Antonescu, a candidate backed by the ruling coalition, raised RON 20 million (€4 million) for his campaign, with the Social Democratic Party contributing RON 15 million and UDMR providing an additional RON 2.4 million.
- In contrast, Antonescu's former party, the National Liberal Party, only managed to raise RON 2 million for their campaign.
- Far-right party AUR's leader, George Simion, reported gathering RON 5 million in loans, while independent candidates Victor Ponta, Nicusor Dan, Silviu Predoiu, John-Ion Banu-Muscel, Lavinia Șandru, and Daniel Funeriu had smaller amounts ranging from RON 80,000 to RON 10 million.
- Expert Forum has noticed a rising trend among parties to report more contributions from their own income to receive reimbursement and conserve subsidies for other expenses, with the contributions from independent candidates totaling RON 13.8 million in the first week of the campaign.
