In December 2008, a year before the end of Traian Băsescu’s first term, a PSD deputy had a long conversation with a US Embassy representative about the political situation in Romania.
The discussion turned into a confidential report issued by the diplomatic representation in Bucharest to the US State Department.
„Beware of Iulian Iancu, he is in Gazprom’s hands and will support the South Stream project and Russia’s proposal regarding gas storage facilities in Mediaș, Moldova, and Bucharest,” Georgian Pop, a PSD deputy at the time, told the American diplomat in their conversation.
Iulian Iancu, also a PSD deputy at the time, was mentioned in the conversation because his name was circulating as a possible Minister of Economy or Energy.
The above reference became public in 2011 when several diplomatic reports were published on the WikiLeaks website, causing a real international scandal.
Starting in 2000, Iulian Iancu held public positions as a deputy or head of parliamentary agencies and committees that were always related to energy.
His entire career is a common thread through which Kremlin's energy interests are linked and shape the policy in Bucharest.
In 2016, amendments to the Electricity and Natural Gas Law submitted by Iulian Iancu, PSD, the President of the Industries Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, indefinitely postponed the exploitation of natural gas from the Black Sea.
Dubbed the "Gazprom man" in Romania, he was a member of ANRE (National Energy Regulatory Authority) until July 25, 2025.
Ilie Bolojan's Appeal
Since 1990, there has never been a real interest or political will to ensure Romania's energy independence, although it could have been easily achieved, nor to develop capacities for producing and storing renewable energy.
Corruption and Russia's interest in controlling the domestic energy market have led Romania to have among the highest electricity tariffs in Europe.
Romania did not reach this point because people start the washing machine at 8:00 PM or because a factory refuses to sacrifice its production for free. It got here after years in which secure capacities were closed, insecure capacities were built without storage, consumption flexibility was ignored, and it was hoped that imports would always be available...
"Smart Energy Association" Statement
A drought in the western part of the continent and a decrease in the Danube's flow have caused an energy crisis in the country, leading to companies being disconnected from the grid to prevent a massive power outage.
"I make an appeal, once again, to citizens, companies, and public authorities to take voluntary measures to reduce consumption, and I want to thank all Romanians and all companies who, in these days, at the Government's requests facing this reality that is not within our control, have taken these measures, and we see the effects in reducing energy consumption these days…," said Ilie Bolojan, dismissed Prime Minister, in a statement from the Victoria Palace.
Global Warming Does Not Exist
The energy crisis, caused by extremely hot weather, has quickly become a political confrontation.
It is very interesting that on social media and tabloid TV stations, those who until yesterday vehemently claimed that global warming does not exist, that it is just an invention, are now the ones promoting an apocalyptic image because "there is no more water in the Danube," launching a multitude of conspiracy theories, each more irrational than the other.
"It is indisputable that human influence has led to the warming of the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Broad and rapid changes have occurred in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere," according to the most comprehensive and widely accepted global scientific study, conducted by IPCC AR6 Working Group I – Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis
"The observed increases in greenhouse gas concentrations (GHGs), starting around 1750, are unequivocally caused by human activities. Since 2011, concentrations have continued to rise in the atmosphere, reaching annual averages of 410 parts per million (ppm) for carbon dioxide (CO2), 1866 parts per billion (ppb) for methane (CH4), and 332 ppb for nitrous oxide (N2O) in 2019. Over the last six decades, land and ocean have absorbed an almost constant proportion (globally, around 56% per year) of CO2 emissions generated by human activities, with regional differences…," the study further states.
However, scientists have always had limited power against political leaders, and many of them, led by Donald Trump, the current President of the US, have attacked scientific findings and reports, claiming that "global warming does not exist." This happened despite all the evidence, some observable from year to year.
A Fundamental Change
What is happening today in Romania and in many other European countries is an effect of failed environmental policies, undermined by political and business interests, as well as the lack of investments in producing cheap and renewable energy in sufficient quantities to truly ensure the country's independence.
In a few weeks, those who are now posting nonsense on social media about who drained the Danube, as well as those irresponsibly promoting them on TV stations, fueling panic, will forget and latch onto other threats to create panic.
The issue that remains and cannot be solved with words is that Romania must rapidly achieve energy independence, and the price of electricity must significantly decrease.
Only then can we talk about projects that can slow down the global warming phenomenon, such as massive afforestation, water production through desalination, the creation of decarbonization factories, and many others.
However, something has fundamentally changed. Over 11% of households in Romania now use photovoltaic panels to produce at least a portion of the electricity they need.
There are already homes generating more electricity than they can consume. Moreover, there is a growing trend in purchasing electric vehicles.
Today, to a lesser extent in the winter months, you can travel for free if you own an electric car whose battery is charged using photovoltaic panels.
We are still far from an abundance of cheap energy, but the technology available today allows for this not in decades, but in the immediate future.