Supreme Court Decision cuts state money for "Democracy at Home" Party
The "Democracy at Home" Party (PDA) has been stripped of its state budget allocations for 12 months, effective from November 2025, after the Supreme Court upheld the Central Electoral Commission's (CEC) appeal and rejected claims by lawyers for the party, which is led by Vasile Costiuc.
The Supreme Court ruled that the CEC's decision was "lawful, thoroughly reasoned, and proportionate to the severity and recurring nature of the violations regarding campaign financing." Judges noted that the Centre Court of Appeal's ruling on 9 October, which had partially annulled the CEC's decision, failed to comply with the regulatory framework and consistent electoral jurisprudence.
The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) was required to apply the complementary sanction under Article 102 of the Electoral Code, the CSJ said, as financial transparency violations had been repeatedly found throughout the campaign. The Court noted that the electoral authority's decision "responds to a real need to protect the integrity of the electoral process and does not exceed, by its severity, the goal pursued by the law." The Supreme Court of Justice's decision is final and enforceable.
The party's leader, Vasile Costiuc, reacted to the ruling, saying his party was engaged in an "unequal fight with the government."
"We, who entered Parliament without any support from the government, met a Goliath standing at the Parliament's door with a mace in hand, striking at our heads. And if they can't beat us in a fair fight, at least they can take our money," Mr Costiuc declared in a video posted on Facebook.
He called the sanction "extremely painful," adding his party needed transparent resources to develop democratically. He accused authorities of applying double standards compared to other political groups.
The Democracy at Home Party was sanctioned on 3 and 5 October by the Central Electoral Commission for incorrect financial reporting, a coordinated campaign on TikTok, and the involvement of individuals from abroad in the formation's electoral promotion. Thus, the PDA was stripped of state budget funding until November 2027, and the Constitutional Court is expected to rule on whether to validate the party’s six parliamentary seats following the 28 September election results.
The Democracy at Home Party won 88,679 votes, or 5.62% of the total, in the 28 September 2025 parliamentary election.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
