Simion reacts after Nicușor Dan challenges ANI law at Constitutional Court

George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), has sharply criticized President Nicușor Dan's decision to challenge the National Integrity Agency (ANI) law at Romania's Constitutional Court. Simion accused Dan of disliking transparency, stating, "Nicușor Dan doesn't like transparency: he challenges the ANI law at the CCR. Can't we see what's happening even from the Moon?"

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Nicușor Dan doesn't like transparency: he challenges the ANI law at the CCR. Can't we see what's happening even from the Moon?

President Nicușor Dan officially submitted his challenge on August 10, arguing that while updating integrity legislation is necessary, the new provisions are arbitrary and unconstitutional. He contends that the amendments could undermine the ANI's core mission. The presidential administration's statement highlighted concerns that extending contravention liability to individuals based solely on their relationship with an official is unconstitutional and infringes on private life, exceeding even European court limits on conflicts of interest.

The contested law, adopted by the Senate on August 5, includes amendments proposed by PSD and AUR. The USR party claims one amendment, concerning the termination of mandates in cases of incompatibility, specifically targets Timișoara Mayor Dominic Fritz. USR accuses PSD and AUR of crafting a "custom-made" law and warns that Romania could lose nearly 800 million euros from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) if the law is not compliant.

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The way Parliament decided to rewrite this article of the law does not respect constitutional criteria. On the contrary, the direct extension of contravention liability to certain persons for their mere affective relationship with a dignitary represents an aggravated form of the unconstitutionality vice already noted by the Court in 2025, as it extends a liability specific to dignitaries to persons who hold no public office and exercise no prerogative of authority. This form of interference in private life exceeds even the limits set by the European court in the field of conflicts of interest.

An amendment initiated by AUR specifically broadens the obligation to submit asset and interest declarations. It now includes the spouse, or "person in a relationship similar to that of spouses," of the President of Romania, parliamentarians, government members, and other public officials. This provision directly affects President Nicușor Dan's partner, Mirabela Grădinaru, who publicly disclosed her financial declarations on Wednesday.

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The amendment initiated by AUR extends the obligation to submit asset and interest declarations to the spouse, or the person in a relationship similar to that of spouses, of the President of Romania, parliamentarians, members of the Government, and other dignitaries.