George Simion remains saddled with a personal debt of more than 12 million lei following the 2025 presidential campaign, marking the largest liability recorded by a presidential candidate in Romania over the past 36 years, Snoop reported.
The AUR leader financed his 69-million-lei campaign primarily through private loans from dozens of individuals, anticipating full reimbursement from the state budget. The Permanent Electoral Authority rejected a substantial portion of the claims, withholding 17,2 million lei due to contested media expenditures involving Realitatea TV.
“Am datorii către diferite persoane fizice apropiate de Realitatea, Maricel Păcuraru. Peste 12 milioane de lei am datorie după campania electorală către diferiți oameni care m-am împrumutat,” said George Simion in an interview with Snoop.
Private loans funded the campaign operations
The campaign relied on nearly 100 separate private loans to sustain operations. Creditors include prominent business figures and political affiliates who stepped in to fund the political bid.
The Pacuraru family extended more than two million lei in loans to Simion. Meanwhile, the family’s media network collected over 23 million lei for promoting the AUR candidate, hotnews.ro reported.
Transylvanian businessman Vasile Puscas and his mother provided loans in large sums. Puscas, active in real estate and hospitality around Cluj-Napoca, attended the final televised debate to support Simion.
Teodor Ovidiu Tender, son of businessman Ovidiu Tender, contributed the legal maximum of 800,000 lei. Alexandru Walter, son of former Romprest owner Florian Walter, also loaned the maximum threshold of 800,000 lei, hotnews.ro reported.
Dan Pintilie, known as the fireworks king, loaned 800,000 lei after attending a dinner with Simion and Marius Lulea. Pintilie confirmed that Simion eventually repaid the entire amount.
“Împrumuturile se făceau prin Marius Lulea și a vorbit domnul Păcuraru cu domnul Lulea. La sfârșit, m-am trezit cu o listă de nume, pe majoritatea nu îi cunosc, printre care l-am regăsit și pe Ovidiu Tender,” said Simion.
Realitatea TV Media Spending
The core dispute between AUR and the Permanent Electoral Authority centers on heavy spending directed toward Realitatea Plus and its associated web properties. The authority filed a criminal complaint at the end of 2025 regarding campaign contracts with the television station, pointing to inflated and irregular advertising costs.
A single broadcast of the program Culisele statului paralel on May 12, 2025, cost over 450,000 euros. Simion did not appear in the studio for that episode and participated only via telephone, hotnews.ro reported.
Total payments to Realitatea TV peaked on that single day at nearly one million euros. Altogether, AUR directed more than 26 million lei to Realitatea Plus and its digital platforms through intermediary firms like DBV Media House and DGI Multimedia Design, Snoop reported.
Based on that income, covering the 12-million-lei debt solely from parliamentary wages would take roughly 1,000 months, hotnews.ro reported.
AUR leaders face multiple courtroom battles
AUR and its leadership are engaged in multiple courtroom battles to recover funds and contest regulatory fines. The party filed lawsuits against the Permanent Electoral Authority to force the reimbursement of disputed campaign expenses, hotnews.ro reported.
Simion filed a lawsuit at the Bucharest Tribunal against co-founder Marius Lulea and the publication 60m.ro, alleging damages and illicit behavior over online attacks, Informat.ro reported.
Why the electoral authority refused Simion's reimbursements
Why did the electoral authority refuse to reimburse Simion’s expenses?
The Permanent Electoral Authority blocked 17,2 million lei in reimbursements due to irregular campaign expenditures and inflated media contracts with Realitatea TV.
How much did Realitatea TV charge for single broadcasts during the campaign?
A single episode of the program Culisele statului paralel on May 12, 2025, cost over 450,000 euros while Simion participated only by telephone, hotnews.ro reported.
What legal actions are currently underway regarding AUR finances?
AUR is suing the Permanent Electoral Authority, Simion filed a defamation suit against Marius Lulea, and former candidates are challenging disputed loan enforcement in court, Informat.ro reported.
What is the total personal debt George Simion carries from the campaign?
Simion holds outstanding personal debts exceeding 12 million lei owed to various private lenders and business backers, hotnews.ro reported.
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