VIDEO The candidate for the Capital City Hall who does not know what his campaign budget is. “Do you think my mother gives me money?”

Actor George Burcea, candidate of the Young People's Party (POT) in the local elections in Bucharest, was visibly disturbed by a question regarding the source of the campaign money, in a dialogue on the political podcast of HotNews. He could not provide any details on how much he plans to spend until the Dec. 7 election.

If he gets more than 3% of the votes, then he will be able to ask the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) to settle the expenses.

“Who is financing me? Personally? Do you think my mother is giving me money? Ask President Anamaria (Gavrilă, POT president, no) for details, to explain better. My mother is not giving me money to run”, answered George Burcea, visibly disturbed by the question regarding the source of the funds he will invest in his campaign.

George Burcea announced, two weeks ago, that he is the official candidate of POT in the elections for the Capital City Hall. He emphasized that Călin Georgescu's proximity to POT was a factor in accepting a candidacy supported by this formation. “Yes, it was a factor. We know what happened last year, how millions of Romanians wanted change. Mr. Georgescu was not part of the system, he was outside the system. Canceling the votes, the biggest mistake since communism,” Burcea said.

Asked what differentiates him from Anca Alexandrescu, the AUR candidate, who targets the same type of electorate as him, Burcea pointed to her career in the PSD. “He has a political past, I don't,” replied George Burcea.

However, he could not answer any question regarding the money he will invest in the electoral campaign, during the dialogue in the HotNews studio.

“I have no business with money”

Despite the insistence of the journalist, the POT candidate could not say what budget he has for the electoral campaign, nor what are the sources of funding.

“Don't ask me this aspect, because I'm not in a position to answer. It's not my problem where the money is. The money? I don't have anything to do with the money. Do I have anything to do with the party's money?”, said George Burcea, on the HotSpot podcast from Hotnews.

He said that the funds intended for his election campaign are administered by the Young People's Party and the president Anamaria Gavrila, and he has no access to the money at all. “I am running on behalf of POT, so who can support me if I can't? Not my mother…”, explained George Burcea.

600,000 euros will cost, for example, Ciprian Ciucu's campaign for the Capital City Hall, according to Digi24. The amount was established in the National Political Bureau of PNL, and it will be divided equally between PNL Bucharest and the party's central funds.

Who is George Burcea?

George Burcea became known through roles in Romanian and international films, including “Say Yes, Comrade Detective” and “Wednesday”, the series produced by Tim Burton, where he played the character Lurch. A graduate of UNATC, Burcea also worked as a model and producer, before moving to the United States.

He was frequently present in the tabloid media through his relationship with the actress Andreea Bălan and through the public conflicts that followed their separation.

He returned to public attention after a series of controversial statements about women, in a 2021 live, when he said that “some women deserve to be beaten”, a statement for which he later apologized.

If he gets more than 3%, the state gives him the money back

The Romanian state spends hundreds of millions of lei to finance electoral campaigns. This is where any competitor, party or independent candidate that exceeds 3% in a round of elections is billed for campaign expenses.

Almost one billion lei cost subsidies for parties and electoral campaigns in 2024, in which there were 4 rounds of elections. From this amount, the amount of reimbursements reached 446.6 million lei, i.e. half of the money spent by the state, according to a report by Expert Forum.

In the 2024 election campaign for the Capital City Hall, Nicușor Dan had 660,000 lei (about 133,000 euros) at his disposal. The amount refers strictly to the 30-day period related to the campaign and does not include the expenses incurred in the pre-campaign. The money was collected from donations (140,000 lei), loans (480,000 lei) and own income (40,000 lei).

The campaign starts on December 22

George Burcea can officially submit his candidacy until November 17. There are two days in which appeals can be submitted, and November 20 is the last day for the resolution of all appeals, within 24 hours from the date of their registration. November 22 is officially the start of the electoral campaign for the 2025 local elections.

In the electoral campaign, the candidates and the parties that proposed them will have to follow strict rules. The maximum allowed size of the banners will be approximately the size of an A3 sheet and they can only be placed in special election display places, established by the town hall. Furthermore, the use of a sequence of colors that reproduces the Romanian flag on posters will be prohibited.