Romanian court upholds data protection fine against former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu

A Romanian court has ordered former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu to pay the RON 50,000 (some EUR 10,000) fine imposed last year for breaching personal data protection rules, after rejecting his challenge against the sanction. The ruling, issued by the Ilfov Tribunal, is not final and can be appealed within 30 days, News.ro reported.

The ultranationalist politician was fined by the National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing for unlawfully storing and accessing user data through cookies on his website between December 6, 2024, and April 3, 2025, without obtaining users’ explicit consent or properly informing them. The authority concluded its investigation in June 2025, finding violations of both Romanian law on electronic communications privacy and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The penalty included a RON 30,000 fine under national legislation and a further RON 20,286.80, equivalent to EUR 4,000, under EU rules.

According to the data protection authority, Cǎlin Georgescu also failed to properly inform individuals whose personal data were collected through the website’s contact form during the same period. He sought to have the fine annulled in administrative court, but judges dismissed his complaint as unfounded.

In December 2025, the Bucharest Tribunal also rejected an appeal filed by Călin Georgescu against a lower court decision to keep him under judicial control in a case in which he is accused of promoting legionary ideology. The ruling is final.

In September 2025, Cǎlin Georgescu was also indicted for alleged complicity in attempting to commit actions against the constitutional order and for spreading false information. Twenty-one other individuals, including mercenary leader Horațiu Potra and his son, were also charged in the same case.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)