28-07-2025
Romanian deputy PM for tax reform resigns amid bribery scandal
Just weeks after taking office, Deputy Prime Minister Dragoș Anastasiu resigned on Sunday amid a bribery scandal involving the very tax authority he was appointed to oversee.
Anastasiu, who joined Ilie Bolojan's cabinet on 23 June, stepped down following reports that he had bribed a tax inspector who uncovered irregularities at his companies, including unpaid taxes on employee salaries. The scandal centres on the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), which Anastasia was tasked with overseeing and reforming as part of his new role.
At a press conference on Sunday, Anastasiu admitted his companies had made mistakes but insisted that the payments were not for personal gain. 'It was a survival bribe [...] not a bribe for enrichment,' he said, adding that he entered government with a genuine desire to help.
He also criticised the Romanian state's treatment of businesses, saying its behaviour had long been 'unacceptable', though it had recently 'improved.' He also said he was resigning because he could no longer be effective in his role due to ongoing 'denigration based on facts that are being exaggerated.'
According to a National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) investigation, Anastasiu's companies paid over €150,000 in bribes, disguised as fictitious consulting and travel services, to an ANAF inspector between 2009 to 2017 to avoid penalties. The inspector was sentenced to 5 years in prison in 2023.
Anastasiu admitted to offering bribes both during the investigation and in court. However, he and his staff were not charged, as the company had initially reported the corruption allegations to the DNA through a business partner.
