Alfred Simonis, president of the Timiș County Council: “I regret that Mr. Fritz is losing his mandate in this way, but I believe he would have lost his mandate in the 2028 elections”

Alfred Simonis, president of the Timiș County Council, said on Thursday, September 10, that he regrets the way Dominic Fritz is losing his mandate as mayor of Timișoara, but believes Fritz would have been defeated in the 2028 election. The statements were made during a press conference.

Simonis argued that the public debate is ignoring the legal cause of the situation Fritz has found himself in. According to the Timiș County Council leader, the mayor broke the law when he signed an administrative document that allegedly created an advantage for a person who had lent him money. Simonis compared the case with those of other local elected officials who lost their mandates over incompatibility or a conflict of interest.

He said that, in Parliament, there had been efforts both to save Fritz’s mandate and to prevent this from happening, and that the latter ultimately prevailed.

Despite the recent public disputes, Simonis said he had had a close relationship with Fritz and was willing to cooperate with Timișoara’s administration even after Fritz’s departure. He also criticized the possibility of Fritz being employed by USR with money from public subsidies and urged him to beware of “betrayal from within his own party.”