President Nicușor Dan received donations and loans totaling approximately 12 million euros in the campaigns for the 2024 local elections and the 2025 presidential elections. As an independent candidate, he did not receive subsidies from the state, as is the case with political parties. After the eligible expenses are reimbursed by the AEP, the money from donations remains in the president’s account, but the loans must be repaid to the creditors.
False information claiming that Nicușor Dan obtained millions of euros from the campaign funds has been circulating on social media for several days. The investigative journalism website Snoop.ro sent a request on this topic to President Nicușor Dan, and his response attests that, in fact, the issue is different.
In the 2024 electoral campaign for the Capital City Mayor's Office, Nicușor Dan had at his disposal 660,000 lei (approximately 133,000 euros). The amount refers strictly to the 30-day period of the campaign and does not include expenses incurred in the pre-campaign, as reported by Snoop.ro:
- 140,000 lei (approximately 28,000 euros) - donations
- 480,000 lei (approximately 97,000 euros) - loans
- 40,000 lei (8,000 euros) - own income
The 2025 presidential campaign, which led Nicușor Dan to become the President of Romania, cost 60.9 million lei. Specifically:
- 3,601,085 lei (712,000 euros) - donations
- 57,324,921 lei (11.33 million euros) - loans
The electoral legislation stipulates that a candidate who exceeds the 3% threshold of votes in elections can request reimbursement of the amounts used from private funding during the electoral campaign.
As an independent candidate, Nicușor Dan did not benefit from public funding; therefore, he did not receive money from the budget, as is the case with political parties.
What Happens with Donations and Loans
A candidate can collect money from donations and loans. Donations can also be made through online platforms, a method that Nicușor Dan used.
Loans are granted only based on a contract, concluded before a notary, and the amounts are repaid after the candidate receives reimbursement from the AEP. The contract must specify the repayment term for the loan.
Donations can remain in the candidate's account after reimbursement from the AEP, with the candidate not being obligated to return the money to those who donated. In this situation is the amount of 140,000 lei received by Nicușor Dan from the AEP after the 2024 local elections.
What Nicușor Dan Did with Remaining Donations from Local Elections
The amount Nicușor Dan obtained from donations during the 2025 presidential campaign is much higher than last year: 3.6 million lei (approximately 712,000 euros) versus 140,000 lei (28,000 euros).
On August 8, 2024, the AEP validated the nearly complete reimbursement of the amount requested by Nicușor Dan: 659,796 lei out of 660,000 lei requested. Following this decision, the money was transferred to Dan's account, who was the general mayor at that time.
The news outlet asked Nicușor Dan what he did with the money received as reimbursement after the local elections and what he will do with the amounts reimbursed after the 2025 presidential elections.
In the response sent, the President admits that he received the donations made for the Capital City Mayor's Office, 140,000 lei, and kept them in his account for a period of time. The amount was used in the initial stage of the pre-electoral campaign for the 2025 presidential elections, allocated for conducting an opinion poll and covering other expenses related to that period, as stated by the Presidential Administration.
At the same time, Nicușor Dan mentioned that the loans received for the local elections campaign have been repaid. However, he did not provide a clear answer regarding what he will do with the donations of 3.6 million lei (over 700,000 euros) remaining after the 2025 presidential elections.
"Now it gets interesting. With the donation money received from the local elections, he quickly started payments in the pre-campaign for the presidential elections. The legitimate question arises: is it okay for the law to allow a candidate who received money for elections to keep the donations received? What will Nicușor Dan do with 3.6 million lei after the presidential campaign?," emphasizes the article's author, Cristian Andrei, on Facebook.
"Yes, these are legitimate questions. The stupidity with 12 million euros remains a stupidity, showing a blatant lack of legal knowledge and a two-bit manipulation. Some are experts in talking nonsense with furrowed brows. Once they were journalists. Others do their research," he concludes.