VIDEO Nicușor Dan, about the fuel crisis: “On the immediate horizon, there is no question of rationalization” / What he says about Hormuz and Romania's actions

President Nicușor Dan said on Thursday that the situation in the market will be the one that will reflect whether the ordinance adopted by the Government on Thursday in response to the fuel crisis had the expected effects or a new intervention from the Executive is required. “To the extent that it does not help, the Government will be forced to intervene again,” said the head of state.

Asked by reporters, on Thursday evening, on the sidelines of the Gala of the Romanian College of Physicians, if it is possible to reach a rationalization of fuels in the future, Nicușor Dan said: “No, I wouldn't go… I mean, on the immediate horizon, this question of rationalization does not arise.”

“Furthermore, all I can say is that there will be a dynamic. We hope, of course, that the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will return to normal and, in this way, the world oil market will return to normal. If this does not happen in a period of weeks, we will see a dynamic, that is, you will see meetings of the Government with the actors in this market and measures as things happen”, said the president.

On Thursday, the government adopted an ordinance that provides for the capping of the commercial addition at the average level of 2025 for the entire chain – from refining, to sales, exports of diesel and crude oil only with the consent of the authorities and fines of up to 10% of the turnover for those who will not comply with these rules.

Asked if it would have been appropriate to lower excise duties on fuels, Nicușor Dan explained that “this is an economic calculation that we cannot do at this moment, here”.

“We are in a crisis, obviously, and in a crisis we have to keep calm and talk to the numbers on the table,” the president continued.

What he said about Romania's involvement in overcoming the crisis in Hormuz

On March 20, the head of state had announced that Romania accedes to an international declaration – meanwhile signed by more than 30 countries – which claims the “de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz” as a result of Iran's actions and expresses “willingness to contribute to the appropriate efforts to ensure freedom of passage”.

“We are somehow in a situation similar to that of the Coalition of the Will (to support Ukraine, no), that is, we are preparing an intervention that will happen when there is no more war in that area,” Nicușor Dan said, answering a question from reporters on this topic.

“Further than that, it can be a diplomatic solution, it can be a borderline solution, these are scenarios, but that's exactly why, like the Coalition of the Will, which has been meeting for a year and discusses what will happen the second there is a ceasefire (in Ukraine, no), so even now, Romania is part of these discussions that provide for each of the scenarios which is the joint action of the countries”, the head of state said.

According to data on the London government website, the declaration has so far been signed by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, RomaniaBahrain, Lithuania, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Panama, North Macedonia, Nigeria, Montenegro and Albania.