The false statements of the politicians in the TVR debate. What are the presidential candidates trapped with the lie

Several candidates for the 2025 presidential elections made inaccurate or false statements during the electoral debate organized on Tuesday, April 29, by TVR, at the Cotroceni Palace.

The electoral debate. Source: Inquam Photo

The fact-checking factual.ro website checked what the candidates present in the TVR debate, on April 29, 2025, have declared that the politicians competed in truncated statements.

Daniel Funeriu, erroneous statement: “Since 1918, the Romanians have respected the minorities”

Daniel Funeriu's statement, who stated that “Since 1918, the Romanians have respected the national minorities and built a model in Europe”was checked by factual.ro and cataloged as false.

The arguments presented by factual.ro were that, during the interwar period, the Legionary Movement, a fascist and anti-Semitic organization was born, and during the Antonescu regime, Romania was a “national-law” state, with official policies of persecution of Jews and Roma, culminating with the Pogroms from Bucharest and Iasi.

During the communist period, the Ceausescu regime promoted a policy of forced assimilation of minorities, and after 1989, the interethnic conflicts did not disappear, the best known example being the events of March 1990 in Târgu Mureș.

Lavinia Șandru, false statement: “We are 15 million”

The statement of Lavinia Șandru, according to which “At the Revolution we were 23 million, we are 15 million“, It was also cataloged as false.”I want to do it in such a way that Romania does not disappear, because every day we are less with 200, yes?”, Completed the politician.

The current population of Romania is, according to INS data from January 1, 2024, of 19 million people (not 15 million), the statistics quoted by the publication show. In 1989, the population of Romania was indeed about 23 million inhabitants, but the daily decline estimated by Lavinia Șandru (200 people/day) is inaccurate.

By emigration, 48,612 persons left in 2023, ie about 133 people/day. By natural mortality, in the first months of 2025, the daily deaths were between 737 and 761.

Sebastian Popescu, false statement: “Romania has only defended”

Sebastian Popescu's statement, according to which Romania is “Maybe the only country in the world that never led a war of conquest, but only defended”was listed by factual.ro as false.

In fact, Romania was not only in the defensive, the Romanian army participating in military actions for offensive and territorial purposes. In the First World War, Romania conflicted to obtain Transylvania from Austro-Hungary, and after the Second World War, Romania participated in the occupation of Budapest (1944-1945) and in military operations on the territory of other states, shows the historical data presented by factual.ro.

The positioning of Romania as a victim of the Western colonies is specific to the communist discourse, in which the Romanian Socialist Republic had to lead a continuous struggle with western expansionism, completes the platform.

Victor Ponta, false statement: “Strategic partnership with the USA, from 2011”

Victor Ponta has missed that “Strategic partnership with the United States was signed in 2011”.

According to the statement published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Romania and the US, the strategic partnership between the two states was signed on July 11, 1997, on the occasion of US President Bill Clinton.

“Thus, Victor Ponta's statement is false. The strategic partnership between Romania and the United States was signed in 1997, but in 2011, in this partnership, the two states signed two new collaboration documents,” shows factual.ro.

Ion Banu-Muscel, false statement: “Russia is not an imminent danger”

The statement of John-Ion Banu-Muscel, according to which Russia is not an imminent danger and, therefore, Romania should reduce the arming expenses, has been verified by factual.ro and is false.

“I do not see such a powerful danger in a Soviet invasion … not of the Soviets … the Russian Republic, the Russian Federation, given that we are part of NATO, who is a strong organization, five to six times stronger than the federation. he said.

The Russian federation is officially listed by NATO as a major threat, especially after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The reduction of military spending is not realistic, and Romania, as a NATO member state, does not even reach the minimum level required today.

“The member countries have committed to invest a minimum of 2 percent of GDP in the field of defense. Romania has assumed, in 2023, to increase the defense allocation from 2 percent to 2.5 percent of GDP. However, the estimates of a NATO report that year have shown that Romania used only 1.6% of GDP for defense.”informed factual.ro.

Nicușor Dan, erroneous statement: “10 percent of land, irrigated”

Nicușor Dan's statement according to which “We need to have a national irrigation program, because at the moment, between agricultural land, we are about 10 percent that are irrigated”, It was checked by factual.ro and is listed as a truncated. It represents an underestimation.

“According to the National Institute of Statistics, in 2023 the cultivated area of ​​Romania was 8,211.163 hectares. From this area, 1.4 million hectares with agricultural crops are prepared for irrigation this year, which represents 17 percent of the country's agricultural area”, shows factual.ro.

Crin Antonescu, a truncated statement: “Ungheni Bridge, inaugurated”

Crin Antonescu erroneously stated: “The bridge inaugurated a few days ago in Ungheni, as a reply over 35 years of the flower bridge, is a bridge that was funded directly from the funds of the European Commissioner, the former Commissioner”.

The bridge from Ungheni was not inaugurated a few days ago, but only the works that will create a connection over the Prut, between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

The financing of the works is guaranteed from the EU cohesion fund, through a process that involves proposals for projects from the Government of Romania and their approval by the European Commission.

Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport (2019-2024), had duties in managing infrastructure funds, but does not decide personally and exclusively what projects are financed.

“The Government of Romania must send projects to receive funding from the European Commission. The technical-economic indicators were approved by the Government in 2023, during the mandate of Adina Vălean”shows factual.ro.

Elena Lasconi, a true statement: “250,000 Romanian, hungry” children “

However, the statement of Elena Lasconi, according to which “250,000 children sleep hungry every evening”, What was verified by factual.ro is true.

“Because at this time, at which we talk, several hundred thousand families have nothing to put on the table. I think you know that 250,000 go to bed every day, every evening,” the politician said during the debate.

According to a World Vision Romania report (2024), about 250,000 children in rural areas live under extreme poverty and often do not have enough daily food, notes factual.ro.

Also, the data of the National Institute of Statistics (INS) show that 21 percent of the population lives in households under 60 percent of the national average.