Statement of the Pact of Free Cities in Support of Mayor Dominic Fritz

The rule of law is one of the fundamental values on which the European Union is founded. Two of its key principles are that laws should not be applied retroactively and that no one should be punished twice for the same offence once a final judgment has been handed down. The removal of Mayor Fritz raises serious concerns under both principles.

The integrity of public office is fundamental to democracy. So too is the principle that elected representatives—and the citizens who elect them—must be able to rely on clear and predictable rules. Removing a directly elected mayor from office is an exceptionally serious measure and must meet the highest standards of fairness, proportionality and legal certainty.

The Pact of Free Cities therefore expresses its full solidarity with Mayor Dominic Fritz and with the citizens of Timișoara. We support his right to pursue all available legal remedies, including before the European Court of Human Rights.

Across Europe, local democracy must be protected not only at the ballot box, but also through strong institutions, the rule of law and safeguards against interference with democratic mandates.

The Legal Process Leading to the Removal of Timișoara Mayor Dominic Fritz

Dominic Fritz, the elected Mayor of Timișoara and member of the Pact of Free Cities, is facing the loss of his mandate following a final administrative conflict-of-interest ruling and a subsequent change in Romanian law. The case does not involve criminal charges, corruption, bribery, or personal financial gain, but the application of Romania’s administrative integrity rules.

The case originated with Fritz’s 2020 election campaign, when local architect and USR councillor Răzvan Negrișanu provided a loan of 25,000 lei to his campaign. Negrișanu was also associated with an architectural firm involved in documentation for a zonal urban development plan. After taking office, Fritz signed an approval memorandum related to the planning procedure and forwarded it to the Local Council.

Romania’s National Integrity Agency (ANI) concluded that Fritz had participated in an administrative act affecting someone with whom he had a direct financial relationship, constituting a conflict of interest. ANI did not allege that Fritz received any benefit or improperly influenced the planning decision; its finding rested on the preventive principle that officials must avoid decisions in which personal or financial relationships could compromise, or appear to compromise, their impartiality.

Fritz challenged the finding, arguing that the planning procedure had already been initiated and approved under the previous administration, led by Mayor Nicolae Robu, who was Mayor Fritz’ rival in the 2020 mayoral election. Mayor Fritz argued that his signature merely continued an existing administrative process, and that no actual benefit was conferred on Negrișanu.

ANI formally issued its conflict-of-interest finding in 2024. On 10 February 2026, the Timișoara Court of Appeal upheld the ANI report. Fritz appealed to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ÎCCJ), which dismissed his appeal on 18 June 2026, making the finding final. The High Court stressed that conflict-of-interest rules are preventive and do not require proof of corruption, personal gain, or actual influence over a decision.

At that point, the consequences were expected to be relatively limited, and Mayor Fritz was generally understood to be able to complete his current mandate. This changed when Parliament amended Romanian law so that officials subject to final incompatibility or conflict-of-interest findings would automatically lose their current office if the relevant prohibition period had not expired. Because Fritz is one of the principal individuals affected, the provision became widely known as the “Fritz Amendment.”

The amendment was challenged before the Constitutional Court as an unconstitutional retroactive sanction. On 17 August 2026, the Court upheld the law, finding that termination of an ongoing mandate was a continuing legal consequence of the integrity finding rather than a retroactive penalty.

President Nicușor Dan signed the law on 28 August 2026, after which it entered into force. As a result, Dominic Fritz is expected to lose his mandate as Mayor of Timișoara on 29 September 2026.

Fritz has announced his intention to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that it raises questions of legal certainty, proportionality, and the retroactive application of sanctions to elected officials. The case may therefore develop from a domestic administrative dispute into a significant European human-rights case.