“Perfectly legal”. Minister Bogdan Ivan, explanations about the nomination of his chief of cabinet in the leadership of Hidroelectrica: “I accidentally related a friendship with him for 10 years”

After Hotnews wrote on Tuesday that the Minister of Energy wanted to appoint his end, Alin Ioan Demian, who is also his head of cabinet, in the Supervisory Board of Hidroelectrica, Bogdan Ivan gave up his nomination, and then came with explanations, claiming that his initial decision was “perfect” for more than 10 years. ”

“At the moment, the man I proposed, my colleague-I have been working with this man for more than 5 years, he is a man in whom I trust, economist, studies, with all that is needed-, by chance he is also a colleague with me and I have been related to him for more than 10 years. There is no discussions on this appointment, which has a temporary mandate of two months, until the selection procedure required by the European Commission is completed for the Ministry of Energy for procedures that were not done according to the European law and for which Romania was penalized, I decided to give up (nominated, no), “

The government official stated that “the post is vacant on September 9” and that in the decision of Alin Demian's nomination, he took into account that he “fulfills all the conditions”.

Explanations offered by Minister Bogdan Ivan:

• “The proposal was that, on September 8, it was the general meeting of shareholders, one of the proposals to be this gentleman. And at the moment, in order to avoid any discussion in the public space on this subject, I decided to restore the documentation, to revoke that appointment, because it is something that, from my point of view, I do not want to pay any discussion on this strategic company for Romania.
• At the moment, it has no thing to do with another thing. I want it to be very clear. If it was a vacant place … I repeat again: at the moment, to be able to, having a vacancy, with whom I am working in the team, over a two-month provisional period, you can get in a form in which to work, have information, have someone trusting that you are convinced (sic).
• And this man … Being a graduate of economic studies, at Babeș-Bolyai University, with a master's degree at the Technical University, fulfills all the conditions. (…) According to the legislation, it is mandatory to have at least one economist, a lawyer and an auditor. (…) He is still a chief of office, I do not make a secret of this, he is transparent, I have no secret of this subject. Look, please, in the last ten years, look at the councilors of the ministers who have been at all ministries, energy or other ministries, as you can have in these companies real information, in real time, than through such a mechanism.
• So, to be very clear: I respected the law on the comma, and at the moment it was a proposal for temporary appointment, for two months, until the procedure made within this company is completed. There's nothing secret. It is transparent, it is public and it is the legal attribute in which to ensure the further operation, under optimal conditions of this company, you need to continue to have an odd number of members in this supervisory board.
• It is perfectly legal and to avoid any discussion (…) on this very efficient company I decided to give up this nomination. To be very simple.“

Nomination, withdrawn

The Minister of Energy, Bogdan Ivan, had announced on Tuesday evening that he had revoked the nomination of Alin Ioan Demian for the position of provisional administrator in the Supervisory Board of Hidroelectrica, according to the information that Demian is both the minister and his chief of office.

“Although the nomination for a limited period of two months, made in order to ensure the interim until the definitive appointment of the new administrators, it was based on professional competence criteria, I took note of the public perception and the debates generated. I consider that the confidence of the citizens in the state institutions and in the strategic companies of Romania must receive any other considerations,” transmitted by PSD.

“The decision to withdraw the nomination does not question the professional capacity of Mr. Alin Demian, but represents a gesture of responsibility and transparency, to avoid any suspicion regarding the integrity of the decision -making process,” said Bogdan Ivan.

On September 8, Hidroelectrica shareholders are going to meet to appoint a new member of the Company Supervisory Board (CS).

The Ministry of Energy has already sent a “list of proposals”, which contained only one name: that of Ioan Alin Demian.

Who is Alin Demian

Demian is the Cabinet Director of the Minister of Energy, Bogdan Gruia Ivan (PSD). The local publication Bistrita wrote that Ioan Alin Demian is not only head of cabinet, but also the minister's end, in 2017.

According to the CV, he held several state positions, especially at the local level. Demian came to Bucharest in 2024, becoming Bogdan Ivan's counselor, when he was a minister of research, innovation and digitalization.

Demian was a counselor between February 2024 – December 2024, and from January 2025 to June 2025 he was appointed head of cabinet. Later, Demian followed Bogdan Ivan at the Ministry of Energy, holding the position of cabinet from June.

The Ministry of Energy owns 80% of Hidroelectrica.

Hidroelectrica is one of the energy companies that must go through a transparent selection process of new members in the Supervisory Board, until November 2025, for Romania to unlock the payment of over 240 million euros from the PNR. Otherwise, this money will be permanently lost.

According to the information published on the Hidroelectrica website, the allowance of a member in the CS is between 11,642 lei and 13,350 lei a month.