Paula Romocean loses appeal, remains declared incompatible by ANI in Timișoara

The Court of Appeal in Timișoara rejected vice‑mayor Paula Romocean’s (USR) lawsuit against the National Integrity Agency (ANI), upholding the agency’s finding that she was in a state of incompatibility. The ruling, issued on Monday, holds that Romocean held a seat on the Municipal Emergency Hospital’s board while simultaneously serving in a leadership role within USR, a conflict prohibited by Romanian law. The decision is not final and may be appealed to the High Court of Cassation and Justice within 15 days.

The case follows a recent settlement in which Timișoara mayor Dominic Fritz was also found incompatible after a conflict‑of‑interest ruling. Fritz criticized the current incompatibility regime, saying it has been applied to over a hundred local councilors nationwide and that ANI’s interpretation exceeds proportionality. He urged legislative changes to limit ANI’s power to target political figures and focus on serious corruption cases.