If Nicușor Dan, the leaders of the PSD, or the PNL coup leaders expect the Commission to continue turning a blind eye to the looting of European funds through corruption and without the reforms we have committed to make, they understand nothing about what is happening in Brussels and Strasbourg, and the grace period has ended.
The European Commission rejected the request made by Dragoș Pîslaru, the Minister of European Funds, to supplement the „wage envelope” by one billion euros, with the aim of pleasing the PSD and the unions fighting for public sector employees.
It must be said from the outset that, in its relationship with Brussels, our country has found a lot of understanding in recent years, in the context of the war in Ukraine, which had a more pronounced negative impact on the economies on the eastern flank of NATO.
The Ciucă and Ciolacu governments have taken full advantage of this relaxation of the targets set for maintaining fiscal balance, exceeding three times the maximum deficit accepted within the Union after the Greek catastrophe.
For over two years, the Romanian economy has been at the forefront of inflation in the European Union, and apart from warnings from Brussels, nothing has happened so far.
Through the PNRR, 20 billion euros have been made available to our country for financing strategic investments, effectively keeping our country afloat.
Everyone knows what Ciucă and Ciolacu have done - their governance has been limited to "helicopter money," acting as a kind of Santa Claus for public sector employees, but the "holidays" are over.
This is what Brussels demands of us
The firm rejection by the European Commission of Bucharest's proposal is a cold shower that once again confirms, if there was any need, the difficult situation in which Romania's economy finds itself.
Grindeanu's hopes of returning to the Victoria Palace and continuing to "fool" Brussels are in vain.
Officials who approve billions of euros from European taxpayers' money, ours, for the functioning and development of Romania know exactly how every penny is spent and where it goes.
It is very important as a message for the trade union sector and for the public service sector in general, to understand that there is an important change in perspective regarding the risks that Romania faces in this fiscal-budgetary area, after we had a recent close evaluation
Dragoș Pîslaru, Minister of European Funds
Due to the superficial attitude of many politicians, who spend too much time in the studios of tabloid television to promote party "scores," a large part of the Romanian public opinion has the sensation that the European executive is a bottomless pit and can be easily deceived.
In an even more despicable manner, the toxic idea promoted by political leaders is that any reform negotiated and assumed by our country, when it comes to its implementation through legislation or governmental decisions, is done because this is what Brussels, the European Parliament, or von der Leyen demands, someone from outside, an enemy who forces us to make decisions against the "national interest."
Deceiving the European Union has ended
It has been almost 20 years since we became full members of the European Union. To join this select club, the population made enormous efforts. Coming out of communism, practically without an economy, after a decade of '90s pillaging by the new political class, we reached where those who lived through the 1989 Revolution did not even hope.
But too few leaders and people in our country truly understand what it means to be a member of the European Union. We have Members of the European Parliament, sent by parties and voters to Brussels and Strasbourg, who have no idea why they are there, seeing their mandate as a prize and a path to enrichment.
So Sorin Grindeanu, the Prime Minister, or any technocrat that Nicușor Dan dreams of putting at the helm of a government he can control, will have to face the rigors of the European Commission.
Furthermore, the new Prime Minister must overcome the huge obstacle of mistrust created by Sorin Grindeanu, who deceived European officials after the 2025 presidential elections, presenting himself as a reformer and pro-European when all he wanted was to keep the PSD fattened on budgetary resources to further enrich the party's barons with public funds.
If Nicușor Dan, the leaders of the PSD, or the PNL coup leaders expect the Commission to continue turning a blind eye to the looting of European funds through corruption and without the reforms we have committed to make, they understand nothing about what is happening in Brussels and Strasbourg, and the grace period has ended.