Romanian governments spent over 110 million lei on churches abroad in 2023 and 2024, ignoring education for diaspora children

Public data reviewed by G4Media shows that the governments led by Marcel Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciucă allocated over 111 million lei in 2023 and 2024 for the purchase, construction, or equipping of churches abroad. These funds come from the state budget, financed by taxpayers, and were directed unconditionally to various religious units, most of which are Orthodox. These were non-refundable funds, not loans. Meanwhile, government investments in education for Romanian children abroad have been non-existent.

It is worth recalling that many churches and religious institutions abroad have served as hotbeds for propagating extremist and anti-EU rhetoric. Romanian priests and pastors in the diaspora have openly campaigned for extremist parties such as AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians) and SOS Romania, as well as for Călin Georgescu, a candidate known for his anti-EU discourse.

Funds were allocated by the Ciucă and Ciolacu governments through the Department for Romanians Abroad and the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs.

Data provided by the General Secretariat of the Government shows that the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs spent 79.5 million lei in 2023 and 2024 on places of worship. Official data reveals that the Department for Romanians Abroad allocated over 31.5 million lei in a single project session for religious units abroad.

The PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition’s governing program, adopted Monday in Parliament, explicitly states: „Continuing the funding of religious denominations at least at the current level.”

How the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs Spent Over 79.5 Million Lei

In 2023, the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs provided 23,726,808 lei to 49 religious units abroad for repairing and building places of worship, acquiring properties necessary for their activities, and maintaining and operating these units, according to an official response.

In 2023, the largest financial support for an Orthodox Church unit abroad was 6,000,000 lei, granted to the „St. George the Great Martyr” Parish in London, UK, for purchasing a church. London was the only Western European capital with large Romanian communities where the Orthodox Church lacked its own place of worship. The funding was approved by Government Memorandum No. C-2207/06.12.2023.

In 2024, the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs allocated 55,863,620 lei to 33 religious units abroad for similar purposes. The largest support this year was 18,200,000 lei for the „St. Parascheva and St. Genevieve” Parish in Paris, France, to transform a property into a chapel, a school for various age groups, and a multifunctional hall serving the Romanian community.

Funds were allocated under Laws No. 114/2007 and 326/2023.

Funds Allocated by the Department for Romanians Abroad in 2024 (Over 31.5 Million Lei):

• Seventh-day Adventist Churches Union (Spain): 1.5 million lei
• Holy Protection Monastery (Switzerland): 1.5 million lei
• Pentecostal Association (Italy): 0.5 million lei
• Romanian Orthodox Parish “The Baptism of the Lord” (Italy): 1.6 million lei
• Romanian Orthodox Parish “Epictetus and Astion” (Italy): 0.4 million lei
• Romanian Orthodox Parish (Como, Italy): 2 million lei
• St. Pantelimon Monastery (Italy): 1 million lei
• St. Parascheva Parish (Madrid): 1.5 million lei
• St. Parascheva Orthodox Church (Brussels): 1.3 million lei
• Orthodox Church (Nice, France): 1.5 million lei
• Godoncourt Monastery Complex (France): 1.5 million lei
• Orthodox Church (Parla, Spain): 1.4 million lei
• Orthodox Metropolitanate (France): 1.6 million lei
• Annunciation Monastery (Rossiers, France): 1 million lei
• Orthodox Parish (Verona): 0.7 million lei
• Orthodox Parish (Padova): 1.1 million lei
• Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal: 2 million lei
• Orthodox Metropolitanate (Germany): 2 million lei
• Orthodox Parish (Pavona, Italy): 1.1 million lei
• Țiganca Monastery (Moldova): 1.6 million lei
• “Friends of St. Basil Parish” Foundation (Netherlands): 1.2 million lei
• Church Purchase (Ludwigshafen, Germany): 2 million lei
• Orthodox Church (Swansea, UK): 0.5 million lei
• Orthodox Parish “St. Dimitrie and St. John” (France): 1 million lei