Romania's former PM Marcel Ciolacu photographed with fugitive convict Ionel Arsene at Lake Garda luxury hotel

The meeting

On the morning of 25 June 2026, Marcel Ciolacu and Ionel Arsene were photographed having breakfast on the terrace of Villa Cortine Palace, a luxury hotel on the shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy. The images, published by Hotnews.ro on 22 July, show the two former PSD colleagues seated together. Other people, reportedly family members, were present but their faces were blurred. The hotel's summer rates start at €800 per night and reach €1,600 for a room with a terrace and lake view.

Ciolacu's response

Confronted by reporters, Ciolacu gave two answers. He initially told Hotnews, "What I do personally is nobody's business." Later, in an exclusive comment to Digi24, he said the encounter was accidental and added, "If he were a fugitive staying illegally, I would have notified the authorities." The former prime minister, who now heads the Buzău County Council, did not explain why he spent several days at the same hotel as a man convicted of corruption and wanted internationally.

What I do personally is nobody's business.

PSD leader distances himself

Current PSD president Sorin Grindeanu was asked about the photographs during a press conference at Parliament. He said he had not spoken to Ciolacu about the meeting and had no prior knowledge of it. Grindeanu urged his predecessor to address the matter publicly.

Each of us answers for what we do. If Marcel Ciolacu will answer on this subject, it's very good, and I would urge him to do so. We each answer for what we do.

AUR MEP accuses of 'mafia behavior'

Adrian Axinia, an MEP from the opposition AUR party, issued a statement calling the meeting evidence of "low-class mafia behavior." He described PSD as an "organized criminal group" and pointed to the contrast between the party's rhetoric about protecting poor Romanians and the setting of the encounter. Axinia also referenced the Nordis case, noting that Ciolacu had not been questioned by prosecutors about his health, and argued that such episodes show "captured justice."

How can anyone believe they care about poor Romanians when they meet at a hotel where the cheapest accommodation is 800 euros per night?

Who is Ionel Arsene

Ionel Arsene is a former PSD deputy and president of the Neamț County Council. On 10 March 2023, the Brașov Court of Appeal definitively sentenced him to 6 years and 8 months in prison for influence peddling. Prosecutors established that he received a €100,000 bribe from former mayor Gheorghe Ștefan to influence decisions of the National Integrity Agency. In 2015, while a deputy, Arsene also allegedly requested a 5% commission from a public contract worth 60 million lei. He fled to Italy before the sentence was pronounced and was placed on the international wanted list. Although an Italian court initially ordered his extradition in November 2023, the Bari Court of Appeal suspended the procedure after his lawyers appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, citing alleged risks of inhuman treatment in Romanian prisons.

Political fallout

The meeting has intensified scrutiny of the Social Democratic Party's ties to figures convicted of corruption. Axinia's statement speculated that the discussion between Ciolacu and Arsene may have involved future political strategies, though no evidence of such talks has emerged. Grindeanu's cautious response, stopping short of condemning the meeting, leaves the party exposed to further opposition attacks as the images circulate in the Romanian press.