Eugen Tomac, differently than he is known in Romania. He harshly criticized Vučić's leadership of Serbia: “It was necessary for innocent people to die” / What industries did the newly appointed prime minister plead for

The elected life abroad is different from that of a politician in the country. It is generally accepted that, as an MEP, you are under less “daily pressure” and have more freedom to express your views on sensitive or even controversial matters. How Eugen Tomac acted in Brussels and Strasbourg, the one who became Romania's designated prime minister on Thursday.

On November 1, 2024, the concrete roof of the train station in Novi Sad, a city of 260,000 in northwestern Serbia, collapsed onto the busy pavement below, killing 16 people and seriously injuring another. A period of anti-corruption demonstrations began, which continues today, after a year and a half.

The phrase from “Collective“ used for “Novi Sad”

On February 11, 2025, Eugen Tomac, Romanian MEP, gave the following short speech at the Strasbourg microphone of the European Parliament:

“Madam President, esteemed colleagues, Commissioner, it was necessary for innocent people to die in the tragedy in Novi Sad, to highlight a justified dissatisfaction that the citizens of Serbia are manifesting. As a democratic body, the most representative of the European Union, the European Parliament is and must remain with the voices that expect change in Serbian society.”

Used by Eugen Tomac in the context of the tragedy in Novi Sad, the phrase “It took people to die” is one that has made a career in Romania.

It was spoken by President Klaus Iohannis in November 2015, after the tragedy at Clubul Colectiv. “People needed to die for this resignation to happen,” said Klaus Iohannis regarding the resignation of the government led by Victor Ponta.

About Vučić's government: “It remains extremely loyal to the relationship with the Russian Federation”

In Strasbourg, Tomac continued his attack on the Serbian leadership of Aleksandar Vučić. “The Serbian government has demonstrated in recent years that it has a duplicitous approach: it says that it understands the European path, but it is still extremely loyal to the relationship with the Russian Federation. This double standard cannot work, and the people of Serbia are impatient to give up this double standard and apply the rules that govern all of Europe. This is what the politicians in Belgrade must understand, and for this we must stand with these voices of hope in Serbia,” said Tomac.

Tomac is in his second term

Eugen Tomac was 37 years old when he was first elected as a member of the European Parliament. He was elected on the lists of the Popular Movement Party, a party founded at the initiative of Traian Băsescu and which obtained almost 6% in the European elections of May 2019.

For the second time, Eugen Tomac entered the European Parliament on the joint lists of USR, PMP and Forța Dreptei, which collected 8.71% of the votes in June 2024. In the EP, he is part of the Renew group, the fourth largest political group in the European Parliament.

What he said about the victory in round 1 of Călin Georgescu

On December 17, 2024, 11 days after the canceled presidential elections, a debate was held in the European Parliament entitled: Misinformation and disinformation on social communication platforms, such as TikTok, and the related risks for the integrity of elections in Europe”.

Eugen Tomac addressed the plenary.

“Mr. President, I want to briefly present what actually happened in Romania in the last presidential elections, because clearly, the elections were influenced and there was a direct interest of the Russian Federation for this to happen.

How? Very simple. It is impossible for a candidate with 5%, just two weeks before the election, to reach the 9th place worldwide in video trends on TikTok, given that this application has a billion users”.

“The only press that applauded this victory was the Moscow press”

Tomac continued: “The only press that applauded this victory was the press from Moscow. Putin himself criticized the authorities' decision to recount the ballots. Russia's interest in placing a man at the head of the Romanian state was obvious and, at the moment, we must not debate what is happening in Romania, but what is happening with this platform in Europe, because democracy is really under threat.”

About the automotive industry: “More than 14 million European citizens work in this field”

Regarding economic issues, Eugen Tomac pleaded in the European Parliament for the support of the European automobile industry. “Just looking at the numbers and the fact that over 14 million Europeans are working in this field, it is essential that this industry is supported.”

“But some answers are expected from the European Commission, because the over-regulation, the bureaucracy and the lack of bold direction for this key area is very discouraging and makes this industry think. That is why we think it is essential that in the next period the Commission comes up with an ambitious plan to encourage this industry to be competitive and have the ability to keep jobs in this transitional stage,” said the current prime minister-designate, when he was a member of the European Parliament.

A gambling initiative

Together with several MEPs, Eugen Tomac was the author of a question to the European Commission, requesting a tax on gambling. The initiative does not address addiction, but only considers how states can regulate the field together.

“The gambling and betting sector has become increasingly digital and cross-border. It benefits from the Union's internal market and digital infrastructure, while national regulatory and tax frameworks remain fragmented. This situation can create distortions in the internal market and complicate coordinated action against illegal and unlicensed operators.”

“Based on data provided by the Parliament's Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, such a tax could allow the European Union to collect between EUR 2 and 4 billion each year, reaching almost EUR 28 billion for the entire period of the MFF,” the MEPs' message reads.

Contrary to the initiative also signed by Eugen Tomac, the real problem is not that the state does not win, but that it loses in relation to gambling, according to several studies, the most recent in Italy.

Gambling is a field where the players definitely lose, the state loses and only the companies win. Why is the state losing? Because the taxes collected from casinos, online betting and “loans” do not compensate for the costs of medical treatments and the harmful social effects of gambling.