Romanian Supreme Court upholds order for PNL to refund Electoral Authority

In a final ruling, the Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție rejected the Partidul Național Liberal's request to overturn a repayment order issued by the Autoritatea Electorală Permanentă. The case originated from the party's expenditures on the 2024 presidential election, including nationwide advertising and a promotional book authored by its leader. After the election was cancelled, an emergency ordinance allowed parties to retain funds for a possible new vote, but a subsequent audit revealed that a portion of the PNL's costs had been financed through state subsidies, which the law forbids to be returned.

The Electoral Authority therefore demanded the party repay the amount, a decision the PNL contested in administrative court. Both the Bucharest Court of Appeal and now the Supreme Court have affirmed the repayment requirement.