Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu compares Romania with “a ship on a stormy sea with a fire on board and it seems that not everyone on board is focusing on putting out the fire, but rather thinking about how to look good in the picture”. It also announces the closure of state-owned companies with historic debts.
“We have to implement the reform and here the political will is essential. What we are facing at the moment is, as we know, in Romania, a permanent political crisis and I have to say this, Romania is now like a ship on a sea in full storm and with a fire on board and it seems that not everyone on board is focusing on putting out the fire, but rather thinking about how to look good in the picture or how to snatch the hose from the hand of the one who true try to put out the fire.
This political will is needed and I think that politicians should understand that people are no longer satisfied with words, they are no longer satisfied with a kilogram of sugar before the elections, that they want to see decent public services, that they need running water, roads, a good education system and that for this political will is essential”said Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghiu at the Romania Government Roundtable 2026, organized in Bucharest by The Economist editorial group.
In her opinion, Romania has the necessary resources to carry out these reforms, she said that, although “political will is lacking a bit“, the citizens are the ones who can put pressure on the political class for them to be realized.
“We have over 1,500 companies that over the years have accumulated losses of over 14 billion lei”
The deputy prime minister also conveyed that the reform of state companies “is one of the most challenging”.
“We have over 1,500 companies, a lot for a country like Romania, companies that over the years have accumulated losses of over 14 billion lei. Romania can no longer afford this and I believe that this is the moment when, regardless of the resistance in the system, the reform must be implemented”said Oana Gheorghiu.
She spoke about the pilot project in which 22 selected companies will go through an analysis process after which decisions will be made about them, be it restructuring, closure or a proposed listing.
“We divided these companies according to risk classes, for inclusion in certain decisions, we managed to strengthen AMEPIP, the agency that deals with the monitoring of state enterprises, to make it operational.
These days we are finalizing the report of the 22 companies and we will reach the moment when I believe that the political class and the Government of Romania will pass an economic maturity test, because I believe that it cannot be done otherwise. It is for the first time that we have a real reform on the Government’s table, consisting of 22 companies“, added Oana Gheorghiu.
He says that some of the analyzed companies, about 10-12, have old debts and that some are already bankrupt or insolvent.
“And for some of them, the decisions are to close. Obviously, there are companies that already no longer necessarily have activity and are in the process of liquidation.
This process must be accelerated so that we stop wasting time and capitalize on everything that needs to be capitalized. There are companies that need to be restructured and for that, again, a political decision is needed”declared Oana Gheorghiu.
