Mihai Fifor, at Interviurile Adevărul: “Romania can produce anything through technological transfer”. What it says about SAFE

PSD deputy and vice-president of the Defense Commission, Mihai Fifor, was invited to the Adevărul Interviews, where he spoke about the SAFE program, problems related to production in the field of Defense, as well as the current situation in the Government and within the Social Democratic Party.

Mihai Fifor at Interviurile Adevărul

Present on the Adevărul set, PSD deputy Mihai Fifor argued that the SAFE program is a major issue for Romania, but the people “they have to understand that it's money borrowed for 40 years.”

“I always wanted a large part of what we purchase to go back to the defense industry in Romania (…) I think it is a huge opportunity for Romania to be able to modernize, there is interest, there are partnerships with extremely strong companies in this field. We were discussing what happened at Mediaș, the Bucharest plant”he stated.

What it says about hybrid warfare

When asked about the situation in Mediaș, where some of the companies collaborate with Otokar, there being suspicions that there are suspicions of ties with Russia, he answered: “It's a collaboration between the intelligence services when we're discussing the endowment of the military. I've also seen what's been circulated, but I hope that those who monitor these contracts are careful, we don't want to have these kinds of breaches, especially since we're in a situation where we have an armed conflict on the border, and so we're subject to a hybrid war.”

We remind that the agreement for the supply of more than a thousand light armored tactical vehicles was won in 2024 by the Turkish company Otokar. They were obliged by the Ministry of Defense to collaborate with companies registered in Romania, and the subcontractor chosen by Otokar was the company Automecanica SA from Mediaș, bought in 2022 by Sergei Glinka, former CEO of the Russian company Transmashholding, a company sanctioned for supporting the invasion of Ukraine.

Asked how Romania could avoid a possible leak of information from the field of Defense, the PSD deputy stated: “That's what the intelligence services are for. There are specific measures that the services have in mind (…) In general, things were kept under control. I collaborated well, Romania is one of the safest countries.”

What is happening with the situation of the heads of SRI and SIE

“We all know the attribute of the Parliament, we'll see, it's a discussion, the president of the state has the first word”said Mihai Fifor, when he was asked about the head of the intelligence services, adding that he does not know at what stage the discussions are.

Defense production

Mihai Fifor also spoke about the situation regarding production in the field of Defense, stating that: “They are sensitive files, they are more difficult to process. We ourselves move more slowly than other NATO partners, I always take Poland as a benchmark (…) In Romania we talk a lot and do little. It is a cultural issue, but we are on the right track. Romania was among the very few NATO countries that fulfilled its obligations.”

“Romania can produce anything through technological transfer. If you go as we negotiated with the people from General Dynamics, you have something to do, it matters a lot how you approach it”he added, stressing that defense investments are essential and that our country could also produce drones and missiles.

“Romania produced the Şoimul fighter plane, let's not forget, for which we are struggling to carry out the development program with the factory in Craiova. Romania produced until the beginning of the 90s in Craiova”the deputy also said.

He pointed out that one of the major problems in the Defense industry is the investment in research and the lack of funding in the case of institutions that train specialists in this field.

Ministry of Defense

Asked if he regrets the fact that the PSD does not have the Ministry of Defense, he stated: “The Ministry of Defense has a certain specificity, the minister in the room has the role of the conductor, but the really serious things take place in the military side.”

He also spoke about the performance of the current Minister of Defense, Radu Miruță, against whom a censure motion was filed, stating: “I criticized him and I will criticize any minister who commits errors. When Moșteanu appeared at the defense, who thought he was in a western movie, then he left and Mr. Miruță came, who has an accounting mindset. But the Romanian army has people who must be endowed, listened to, the military man who goes to sacrifice his life must know that he is respected. The army has a chronic shortage of personnel.”

His opinion about Bolojan

Asked about his opinion about PNL and Ilie Bolojan, whom he considers a “usr-ist prime minister”Fifor said: “I think that Mr. Prime Minister is the most usr-ist. This explains the measures he takes, the obtuseness he sometimes shows, his stubbornness has not been productive for a long time.”

“He is the kind of man with whom today you clap your hands and tomorrow you find that he adds other things in the Government meeting, this cannot but cause me nervousness (…) Mr. Bolojan does not want exceptions, he would like to draw everyone to the line, but people are not all the same”Mihai Fifor added.

At the same time, he specified that PSD entered the government for “to keep the country afloat”accusing Ilie Bolojan of not being one “dialogue partner”.

What is happening inside the PSD

Asked how many wings are currently in the PSD, the deputy stated: “PSD just had a congress, in which we voted for our leadership, the program. PSD is a living organism, when someone had something to say, they said it, that doesn't mean they are wings, we have a very clear path.”

He denied that the PSD would have a dialogue or that there could be a possible collaboration with the AUR.

“I think that Mr. Grindeanu was explicit when he said that we do not have and will not have a collaboration with AUR”declared Mihai Fifor.

Engagement of liability

Asked about the administrative reform, he stated: “I think that this time Mr. Bolojan understood that it's not a joke, the budget goes through the Parliament, he has no way to avoid it. If until now the Parliament was put in parentheses in terms of responsibility, now it can't.”

He also spoke about the 2027 rotation, stating: “We want to reach 2027 and make the rotary, but it depends on Mr. Bolojan.”