The most expensive presidential elections. The candidates spent 133 million lei. Expert: “The state has come to finance politics completely”

Candidates in the presidential elections 2025 gathered until April 30, 2025, according to the latest reported data, 165 million lei, already spending 133 million, which makes this most expensive campaign in post-December history. What problems raises funding.

We have the most expensive choices of the last decade photo: Efor Graphic

Expert Forum, the organization that analyzes the data on election campaigns at all election tours, has made a new report on the financing of the election campaign, based on the latest data reported by the candidates and their supporters, and the conclusion is that the largest amount has ever spent, already 133 million lei (before the end of the campaign), at the end of the Campaign) But several problems are raised. Although a series of data is reported, below the general public does not know exactly who are, actually, the persons who finance the competitors' campaigns, the revenues being reported by categories such as: loans, own income, subsidies, etc.

“The total declared revenues reached 165 million lei (compared to 108 million lei on April 25), and the expenses reached 133 million lei. The elections in 2025 are the ones where the competitors have declared the highest revenues and expenses so far ”, Efor shows.

“The state came to finance the policy completely ”, says the expert Septimius Pârvu, explaining that if in other campaigns the parties also used the money from the subsidies received from the state, in this campaign they did not use these funds, but they preferred, for example, the variant of the loans, which they can repay with money from the state if in the elections a result of over 3 %is obtained.

Of the 133 million already spent in this campaign, just over half is the amount passed by a single candidate, it is right, supported by three parties. Crin Antonescu spent 64.35 million lei (the limit set by the legislation being 81 million lei), under the conditions in which he declared revenues of 80.82 million, the next one in the top of the expenses being Victor Ponta-32.67 million (with revenues of 33.95 million lei), followed by George Simion (13.15 million). Dan declared expenses of 15.52 million (with revenues of 17.86 million lei), Lavinia Șandru had spent up to April 30 2.82 million (revenues of 2.83 million), Elena Lasconi-1.15 million (revenues of 1.2 million), Daniel Funeriu-0.76 million (revenues of 0.8 million), John Ion Banu-Muscel revenues of 0.22 million), Cristian Terheș-O, 2 million spent (also 0.2 million revenues), and the lowest expenses by Silviu Predoiu-0.04 million (from revenues of 0.08 million).

According to the law, the limit of the contributions of independent parties or candidates and expenses is 20 minimum gross basic salaries for each competitor, ie at most 81 million lei. Revenue can be declared by candidates or parties.

Candidates can contribute with their own income funds; donations received from natural persons (at most 810,000 lei); Loans from natural persons (at most 810,000 lei) or contracted with credit institutions, only in money, by notarial contract and by bank transfer (max. 2,025,000 lei). Cannot contribute to the campaign legal entities. Contributions are not allowed by third parties or in a form other than in money (for example in goods or services). Political parties can finance the campaign in contributions of party members; donations, related and other liberalities; income from their own activities; subsidies; money loans from natural and legal persons. The contributions of the candidates for the election campaign are declared to the permanent election authority by the coordinating financial agent within 3 working days from the date of collection in the notified bank account. Contributions can be deposited in the bank accounts notified to the permanent electoral authority, only until the end of the election campaign30. The expenses are in turn declared within three days from their employment, specifying the value and destination. For expenses there are also percentage limits defined in law and guide. For example, for expenses for the production and dissemination of electoral propaganda materials on radio, television and in the press at the parties can spend at most 40% of money. The expenses can only be realized by the electoral competitors, through contracted services and cannot occur in their own direction.

Where did the candidates come from

Crin Antonescu received the most money spent from PSD-62 million lei, money that was spent as follows: TV promotion (30 million lei), 35% for online (22 million lei), 4% for prints (2.6 million lei), 3% for sociological research (2 million lei) and 5 million lei for other types of contracts. “From the available data it does not appear obviously if the PSD has spent for the clothing for volunteers,” the Expert Forum report (EFOR) shows. Also for Antonescu, the UDMR spent 1.8 million lei: 45% of money, ie 833 thousand lei for online (several suppliers), 22% for prints (399 thousand lei) and 384 thousand lei (21%) for radio/press/TV.

PNL, the party from which Crin Antonescu comes (he resigned from the party only before registering in the presidential race) spent only 378 thousand lei, for contracts in the category “others” and 148 thousand lei for online.

Victor Ponta spent 32.6 million lei – compared to 23.7 million lei at previous reporting – of which 63% for online (20 million) and 18% for radio/TV/press (6 million lei). For clothing he paid 1.3 million lei (4%), and for prints 1.3 thousand lei (4%). The candidate also paid 1.4 million lei for sociological research. For other types of contracts, of which most consulting paid 1.8 million lei.

Nicușor Dan spent a total of 17.5 million lei: 71% of money (12.5 million lei) for online, 1.1 million lei for prints and 917 thousand lei for sociological research. For the promotion of radio/TV/written press paid 742 thousand lei. The remaining 2.1 million was spent on other types of contracts, the majority for consulting.

Gold paid 40% of funds for prints (5.2 million), 36% for online (4.7 million lei), 2.5 million lei for financial agent, and the rest for other types of contracts. USR spent half of money (586 thousand lei) for TV campaign, and one quarter for online (245 thousand lei), other types of contracts (234 thousand lei) and 87 thousand lei for prints.