Timisoara Mayor Dominic Fritz Barred from Office Until 2030 as USR Reconfirms His Party Presidency

Romanian courts confirmed that Timisoara mayor and USR party president Dominic Fritz is in a state of conflict of interest, confirming the National Integrity Agency’s finding that he approved a zoning plan that benefited a creditor from whom he received a 25,000‑lei loan for his 2020 campaign. The High Court of Cassation and Justice (Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție) upheld the lower‑court ruling, imposing an administrative ban that prevents Fritz from standing for any elected office until 2030. Fritz announced on Facebook that he will challenge the decision before the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the sanction is disproportionate.

Despite the court ruling, the USR National Board voted unanimously to keep Fritz as party president and said he will seek reconfirmation at the party congress in October. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) called on USR to suspend Fritz and urged the Timiș county prefect to enforce the legal consequences, while USR officials described the court’s decision as “deeply unfair” and a politically motivated over‑interpretation of the law. The episode has sparked a partisan dispute over the application of integrity rules and the future of Fritz’s political career.