Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu rejected the accusations of influence peddling in a message published on Facebook, which appeared shortly after the AUR demanded explanations regarding meetings between state institutions and a German group involved in digitization.
Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu published a message on Facebook on Saturday, May 16, in which he rejects accusations of influence peddling related to meetings with representatives of a German group involved in digitization projects and claims that a “machine of denigration” is being built against him in the public space.
The message comes shortly after the AUR requested additional explanations regarding meetings held at government level between representatives of some state institutions and delegates of the German Schwarz group, involved in digitization projects, but also on how these companies would have been promoted in the relationship with the public sector.
“Public Meeting, Recorded”
One of the main points invoked by Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu refers to the nature of Government meetings, which she describes as transparent and strictly technical.
It states that the meeting of January 19-20, 2026 was an official one, recorded and publicly communicated, attended by institutions such as ADR, MAI, STS, SRI, MApN and the Ministry of Economy, emphasizing that it was not about negotiations or administrative decisions, but about technical discussions between specialists.
On January 19-20, 2026, a public meeting took place in the government, recorded in RUTI and communicated on my Facebook page, between representatives of the Schwartz group and the Romanian institutions involved in digitization: ADR, MAI, STS, SRI, MAPN, MEDAT. I attended the opening, for a maximum of one hour. The rest were technical discussions between specialists.
Why the Schwartz group (sic!)? Over 600,000 jobs in Romania and one of the pioneers of the European digital ecosystem, oriented towards digital sovereignty. A project that Romania should be part of”, explained Oana Gheorghiu.
“There was no influencing of decisions”
The Deputy Prime Minister also rejects the accusations that he tried to influence institutions or administrative decisions, claiming that his efforts were strictly for documentation purposes. She shows that in the e-mail sent later to the state institutions, she requested information on the conclusions of the discussions, unrelated to purchases or contracts.
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“On February 12, I sent an email to the participants (specialists from the state institutions were at the technical discussions, not me) to find out the conclusions of the meetings and the opportunities for Romania. That’s it. An email asking for information about a public and transparent meeting.
Mr. Dragoș Vlad, the former president of ADR, received that email on February 12, like everyone else. He did not alert anyone then regarding any possible pressure. Three months later, after he was dismissed, he complained to Gândul and Antena3 and falsely suggested that I had tried to influence decisions, although no purchase, no decision, no contract was in question”explained the deputy prime minister.
Donations and influence peddling allegations
In the same message, Oana Gheorghiu explained how things are with the sponsorship of 250,000 euros made in 2021 by a company from the same group for the construction of an ATI section in Romania, during the pandemic, claiming that the interpretation of these links as influence peddling is erroneous and accusing a misunderstanding of the notion of “public interest“.
“Yes, Kaufland (part of the Schwartz group) donated 250,000 euros in 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, after the ATI ward in Piatra Neamț burned down with 15 people. It contributed to the construction of a new ATI ward for a state hospital, when an entire county was left without access to intensive care.
The hospital is working. They still save people. I’m grateful and I’ll say it anytime.
If anyone considers this to be influence peddling, we have a serious problem with understanding what the public good is.
Why so much effort against a man with no party and no political stake?
Intimidation and deterrence. So that honest people no longer dare to get involved.” she wrote.
“Mr. Vlad led the Authority for the Digitization of Romania for four years. I don’t need to tell you how digitized Romania is, you can see it for yourself.
I didn’t ride private jets. I didn’t hide my press watches. I didn’t put people through CAs. I sent an email asking for information about public meetings.
They turned this into a “legal framework”, to distract attention from the real problem: the black holes through which the money of every Romanian is drained.
This is not my battle. It’s ours.
It’s the battle between the past and the future. When you turn on the light, you become public enemy number 1 to those who have operated in the dark for decades. That means we’ve touched something real.” continued the deputy prime minister.
“Don’t scare me. Don’t intimidate me. Don’t give up”
At the end of the message, Oana Gheorghiu talks about public pressure and claims that the accusations have the role of discouraging involvement in reform and digitization projects.
“It doesn’t scare me. It doesn’t intimidate me. I don’t quit.
And I ask you the same. Don’t give up on the outrage. Don’t let this machine convince you that nothing can change, because that’s exactly what they want: a tired society that chooses to look away.
Romania deserves more. And the truth always comes out.” Oana Gheorghiu concluded her message.
