BREAKING One of Bolojan's reforms, blocked in court / ANCOM reorganization, suspended by the Bucharest Court of Appeal

The ANCOM employees' union, represented by the law firm founded by Gheorghe Piperea (AUR), won the case at the Court of Appeal in the case opened against the National Authority for Communications Administration and Regulation, Snoop.ro journalists write on Tuesday. The reorganization of ANCOM is part of the plan to reform some key institutions started by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and for which he pledged his responsibility before the Parliament.

It is a process of suspending the acts through which ANCOM is reorganizing from January 1, 2026 until a decision on the merits.

According to Snoop's sources, it included about 90 layoffs, for which notices were issued and would have entered into force at the beginning of the new year, as well as demotions.

According to the CAB decision of Tuesday, December 30, found on the court portal, the plaintiffs (more than 300, according to the justice portal), “conventionally represented by SCA Piperea si Asociaţii” and the union, won the suspension of the execution until the ruling of the substantive court of the following decisions issued by the President of ANCOM:

• Decision 678/16.12.2025 identifying the specialized departments and functions, respectively the support departments and functions within ANCOM;

• Decision 679/16.12.2025 establishing and approving the selection procedure for ANCOM staff with a view to terminating employment relationships as a result of the application of the reorganization measures provided for by Law 145/2025;

• Decision 680/16.12.2025 approving the reorganization of ANCOM, respectively the organization chart and the list of functions applicable at ANCOM level from 01.01.2026, the suspension of the entire ANCOM reorganization procedure, the notice periods and the individual dismissal decisions that will be issued, as a consequence of the suspension of the execution of decisions 678/16.12.2025, 679/16.12.2025, 680/16.12.2025.

The decision of the Court of Appeal can be appealed within 5 days.

ANCOM trade unionists, represented by the law firm of an AUR politician against the Bolojan Government's cuts

Snoop wrote since August that hundreds of trade unionists negotiated to be represented by the law firm of Gheorghe Piperea, AUR MEP, against the Bolojan government's cuts.

At the same time, AUR criticized ANCOM in a September motion.

“The government mimics the reform. ASF, ANRE and ANCOM continue to be corrupt, incompetent and malicious institutions, captive to political clientele and lacking professional governance”, was the title of one of the four censure motions of the AUR against the Bolojan Government.

ANCOM was described as an institution operating with oversized staff, with average net salaries more than twice the average for the economy.

“On the one hand, the perception of a “vacation village” for files, knowledge and relationships has strengthened. On the other hand, the institution has been involved in most moments of the authoritarian drift of the current Power. It is transformed into an armed arm of censorship and the limitation of freedom of expression,” the text of the motion reads.

How many ANCOM employees should have left from January 1, 2026

The Communications Regulatory Authority (ANCOM), led by Valeriu Zgonea, should have fired 84 employees from January 1, 2026, in order to implement the reorganization required by law 145/2025 that the Ilie Bolojan government committed to Parliament, shows the data sent to HotNews.ro at the request of this institution.

The wife of the head of ANCOM, Laura Zgonea, submitted her resignation in November, and the position of specialist advisor occupied by her (which was to be vacant on December 31, 2025) was abolished by the reorganization decision.

160 posts should have been abolished of which only 89 were filled

The new organization chart and the list of functions in ANCOM, which should have entered into force on January 1, 2026, were established by a decision signed on December 16, 2025 by the president Valeriu Zgonea, according to a document consulted by HotNews.ro.

The act also provides for the reorganization of the department of specialist advisers, which includes Laura Zgonea, the wife of the ANCOM president, and Elena Cristina Ionescu – the wife of Răzvan Ionescu, the interim head of the SRI for over two years.

At HotNews.ro's request, the authority specified that, at present, it has 747 positions in its structure (including the ANCOM management and the staff from the offices of dignitaries), of which 648 are occupied.

“On the effective date of the new organization chart, 160 positions will be abolished, of which 89 are currently occupied (5 voluntary departures until 31.12.2025 and 84 actual layoffs). Of the total number of abolished positions, 50 are specialized positions (vacant positions) and 110 are support positions (26 vacant positions and 84 positions occupied)”, stated the authority.

How many employees were to be laid off from January 1st

84 employees would have had to be made redundant as of January 1, 2026, had it not been for today's Court of Appeal decision.

“The laid-off employees will not benefit from any compensation upon termination of employment, their payment being expressly prohibited by the provisions of Article XXIV of Law No. 141/2025 regarding some fiscal-budgetary measures,” reads a response from the institution sent to HotNews before the Court of Appeal's decision.

ANCOM basically refers to the provisions of the first package of fiscal measures that the government led by Ilie Bolojan pledged its responsibility in the parliament.

“The salary scale applicable at the ANCOM level from 01.01.2026 has been reduced according to the provisions of Law no. 145/2025”, said the authority without giving any other details.

The ANCOM chief's wife submitted her resignation

Among those who will no longer work in ANCOM from January 1, 2026 is the wife of the ANCOM president, Laura Zgonea. She worked in the institution before her husband was appointed president of ANCOM.

“The mentioned employee submitted her resignation during November 2025. The position occupied by her (which will become vacant on 31.12.2025) was abolished by the reorganization decision”, the authority sent.

According to the reorganization decision, out of the 11 positions available in the department of specialist advisers, of which Laura Zgonea was a part, 8 positions will be abolished, ANCOM mentions.

“One of the ANCOM employees from this department will be made redundant as a result of the application of the provisions of Law No. 145/2025, the rest of the abolished positions being vacant. No employee will be moved to another position. In the case of the salary scale for councilors, the same rules will apply as in the case of the other ANCOM employees,” the regulatory authority stated.

Laura Zgonea worked in ANCOM since 2018, before her husband was appointed president of this authority.

In May 2023, when Valeriu Zgonea was appointed president of ANCOM, his wife was moved to the position of specialist adviser, in a department alongside six other specialist advisers, according to information presented by HotNews at the beginning of October 2025.

Previously, Laura Zgonea had held the position of general secretary of ANCOM, which she reached from the position of legal director of the institution.

Valeriu Zgonea claims that, in order to avoid any potential incompatibility, the two made the decision for the wife to take a step back.

“It was not easy to tell him: step aside, because there is a Romanian legislation, and you must return to the basic post”, said Valeriu Zgonea in the discussion with the HotNews reporter.

She does not get involved in advising the president of ANCOM, the institution's response to HotNews shows.