Harsh reaction from Minister Pîslaru about money lost from PNRR: "It's shameless to blame the Bolojan Government"

The Romanian government is grappling with a significant financial setback, facing the potential loss of €458.7 million from the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility (PNRR). Minister of European Funds and interim Minister of Labor, Dragoș Pîslaru, has issued a strong rebuke, attributing the failure to implement crucial reforms and secure these funds squarely on the shoulders of previous administrations. Pîslaru's statements, made via Facebook, express frustration and anger over what he terms "shamelessness" from those now criticizing the current government's handling of the situation.

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A part of the gentlemen because of whom we lost 458.7 million Euros are accusing today that Bolojan, Gheorghiu and Pîslaru are to blame. To place the responsibility for failing reforms on a government that had a minuscule window of time (June 23 – November 28, 2025) to repair years of neglect is simply shamelessness.

Pîslaru detailed the timeline of failures, pointing out that the third payment request was submitted nine months late, under the premiership of Marcel Ciolacu. He claims that then-Minister Adrian Câciu officially assured the European Commission that the reform milestones were met, an assertion Pîslaru now calls a lie. The subsequent year and five months provided for remediation and justification were, according to the minister, characterized by procrastination and avoidance of necessary reforms. The European Commission ultimately identified that progress was insufficient, leading to the partial suspension of payments for four key reforms in May 2025.

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The 3rd request was submitted, with a 9-month delay, on December 15, 2023, under Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. They delayed. At the time of submission, Minister Adrian Câciu officially assumed, in writing, before the European Commission, that the milestones were satisfactorily met. They lied.

The minister specifically highlighted the areas where reforms faltered: special pensions, the operationalization of the Agency for Payments and Intervention for Agricultural Projects (AMEPIP), and the governance of state-owned companies in the energy and transport sectors. Pîslaru emphasized that when the government led by Ilie Bolojan took office, the remaining time to address these complex issues was "extremely short." He argued that the responsibility for years of neglect cannot be placed on a government with such a limited window to rectify the problems.

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When the government led by Ilie Bolojan took office, the remaining time was extremely short.

While diplomatic and technical efforts managed to recover €350.7 million, the remaining funds were forfeited due to persistent delays and political interference. Pîslaru cited the politicization of AMEPIP and political appointments in state-owned companies, instead of transparent selection processes, as key reasons for the failure. The minister's decision to publicly release official European Commission documents underscores his determination to provide transparency and counter what he perceives as politically motivated accusations, asserting that the reality is documented and undeniable.

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This is the reality. Not because I say so, but because it emerges from the official documents of the European Commission, which, in light of the very "inspired" accusations coming from those who buried the PNRR, I decided to publish openly on the Ministry's website. Because Romanians have the right to know.