Save Romania Union (USR) leader Dominic Fritz is expected to lose his mandate as mayor of Timișoara within 30 days after the new integrity law was published in the Official Gazette this past weekend. The controversial legislation applies to elected officials with final incompatibility or conflict-of-interest rulings even when the decisions predate the law.

Back in June, the High Court of Cassation and Justice upheld a Timișoara Court of Appeal ruling that found Dominic Fritz in an administrative conflict of interest. Now, under the new provision, his mandate is expected to end 30 days after the legislation entered into force.

Fritz has repeatedly said he will not resign. He is therefore expected to remain in office until the prefect issues an order formally acknowledging the termination of his mandate, Tvrinfo.ro noted.

The USR leader described the legislation as an “anti-Timișoara law” and accused the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) of using “undemocratic instruments” to retaliate against him.

“Together with you, I refuse to allow ourselves to be humiliated. Together with you, I refuse to allow ourselves to become discouraged,” Fritz wrote on Facebook on August 29.

“We will turn these 30 days from an abuse into a festival of the achievements through which we changed Timișoara,” he added, arguing that his opponents were afraid Romania could be transformed “through work, seriousness and without theft.”

Mayor Fritz said the city’s projects would continue under the coordination of USR deputy mayors Ruben Lațcău and Paula Romocean and city manager Matei Creiveanu. He also said he would remain involved in Timișoara and continue serving as USR president after leaving the mayor’s office.

President Nicușor Dan promulgated the law on August 28 despite maintaining the objections raised in the constitutional challenge he had previously submitted to the Constitutional Court. He said he would have sent the bill back to Parliament for reconsideration if delaying its adoption had not risked Romania losing funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

“We cannot afford to lose access to these funds, nor can I accept another blow to Romania’s credibility abroad,” the president said, as quoted in the Presidency’s press release.

He asked the Parliament to reopen and deepen the debate during its autumn session, arguing that integrity was too important to be governed by legislation subject to suspicions and conflicting interpretations.

The law is linked to a PNRR milestone carrying EUR 770 million that had to be completed by August 31. 

The Senate, acting as the decision-making chamber, passed the legislation on August 26 with 106 votes in favor and 19 against. The vote was needed after the Constitutional Court ruled that parts of the initial bill concerning the asset declarations of public officials were unconstitutional. However, the court upheld the provision requiring elected officials with final incompatibility or conflict-of-interest rulings to leave office within 30 days.

The National Liberal Party (PNL) also voted for the bill. Interim prime minister and PNL leader Ilie Bolojan said the party had supported it reluctantly because completing the PNRR milestone was the immediate priority.

“A provision that changes the rules during the game is deeply immoral and unfair,” Bolojan said, as reported by Biziday.ro, adding that the law could not remain in its current form.

Dominic Fritz has announced that he will challenge the ruling against him before the European Court of Human Rights. He argues that the new provision is being applied retroactively, although the Romanian Constitution states that laws should apply only to the future.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)