Former Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă Enters Business with ‘Military Spacecraft’ Company

Former Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă has moved from the political arena into a company whose registered business activity includes the manufacture of military spacecraft.

Ciucă became an administrator of ArmShield SRL this spring, about a year and a half after stepping away from frontline politics. The company is owned by Antonio Salameh, the eldest son of Nawaf Salameh, founder of the Alexandrion Group, a major producer of spirits and wine. Antonio Salameh serves as co-administrator with Ciucă.

ArmShield’s operating location is in Prahova county, at the same site as the distillery. The company did not appear in the SEAP public procurement database with a contract concluded with the Romanian state at the time of the report.

Ciucă resigned as a senator on February 5, 2025, shortly after Parliament began its first regular session following validation of the December 1, 2024 legislative election results. He had already resigned as PNL president on November 25, 2024, after finishing fifth in the first round of the presidential election with less than 10% of the vote, according to partial results. The report describes his government and presidential campaign as unsuccessful and says he withdrew from public political life.

Nawaf Salameh died in April 2025. Ciucă attended his funeral in Ilfov county, where journalists also saw him with Adrian Zuckerman, a former United States ambassador to Romania.

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The owner of SC ArmShield SRL, Antonio Salameh, who is co-administrator alongside Nicolae Ciucă in this business, is none other than the eldest son of Nawaf Salameh, the entrepreneur who founded Alexandrion Group, one of the best-known spirits and wine brands.