Ciolacu accuses Ilie Bolojan of “shamelessly lying” in the case of the SAFE program: “He is desperate because he will be fired in 4 days”
Former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, currently president of the Buzău Regional Court, declared on Friday, May 1, that “Bolojan is desperate because he will be fired in 4 days” and that “lies shamelessly,” claiming that the SAFE program management scheme was established and voted on during his tenure as prime minister.
Marcel Ciolacu/PHOTO: Inquam photos/Octav Ganea
The former prime minister's post comes after Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan stated that the SAFE program management scheme was established and approved during Ciolacu's mandate, stating that the current government took over an already adopted decision.
The Head of the Executive made these clarifications after being asked who decided that a significant part of the funds allocated through the SAFE program (five billion euros) should be directed to a company in Germany, while a smaller amount (800 million euros) would go to a company in Romania.
Bolojan rejected the premise of the question, categorizing it as right “biased and erroneous”and explained that the program management mechanism was established prior to assuming his mandate.
“The question is tendentious and erroneous. And I will make strict clarifications. During the mandate of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the management scheme of the SAFE program was established and voted on. And on that date, at the proposal of the Prime Minister, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister was designated as the integrator of the management of SAFE. First of all, it is a decision taken during the mandate of Prime Minister Ciolacu, which had to be respected, as certain things continue.
This is to clear things up, yes? Because no one knew on that date who would become prime minister, who would be chancellor. Check who was prime minister, who was chancellor to ask them why they proposed this”, said Ilie Bolojan, on Friday, in a press conference held in Suceava. Bolojan was present on May 1 at the inauguration of a nursery school in the municipality of Suceava.
Ciolacu: “The scheme was not established “in Ciolacu's mandate”, but by emergency ordinance of the Bolojan government”
“The appointment of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister as an integrator of the SAFE program was made by GEO 62/2025, adopted on November 20, 2025 – under the Bolojan government, NOT under the Ciolacu government!
- Prime Minister's decision no. 524/21 November 2025 – which nominally names the composition of the inter-institutional working group – is signed by Ilie Bolojan, NOT by Marcel Ciolacu.
- The Senate voted GEO 62/2025 on December 17, 2025, so the “vote” that Bolojan invokes was given by the Parliament in its governance.
- Law 4/2026 finalizing the legal framework was promulgated in 2026, under the Bolojan government.”
The only element that happened before the Bolojan mandate is Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, adopted by the EU Council on May 27, 2025, but this is a European act, not a «Romanian management scheme»!”, Ciolacu explained.
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He adds that “the scheme was not established “in the mandate of Ciolacu”, but by emergency ordinance of the Bolojan government, on November 20, 2025″.
“Ilie Bolojan personally signed Decision 524/2025 for the appointment of the working group, full of his henchmen!
▪ Mihai Jurca – head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, CHAIRMAN of the group (politician, not defense specialist)
▪ Mihnea-Claudiu Drumea – State Secretary at the Chancellery (PNL)
▪ Andrei-Răzvan Lupu – State Counselor at the Chancellery (USR)
▪ Radu Burnete – presidential advisor
▪ Representatives of MApN, MAi, MAE, MEDAT, Ministry of Finance, SRI – in a subordinate position, not of final political decision.”
Ciolacu: “The only local investment in defense is a project carried out by me”
Marcel Ciolacu claims that the SAFE program is managed politically, not by military specialists, being put under the control of the Prime Minister's Chancellery.
He criticizes the fact that there are no clear and transparent selection criteria in the normative acts and says that decisions (including those related to price and terms) are not well substantiated or explained.
“That's why, when Bolojan publicly sells “minimum 50% production in Romania”, he tries in vain to shape a reality that produces a monster – the massive concentration on a single foreign producer: 5.69 billion euros = 68.3% of the package to a huge German industrial group, which receives 7 out of 15 contracts.
Only this is really treason!
What Bolojan knows and does not say is that the only local investment in defense, the powder factory that will be opened in Romania with funding from the European Commission, is a project carried out by me, together with the Minister of Economy, Radu Oprea.”
The former prime minister adds that “the acquisition by Romania of Giurgulești Port is the result of the negotiations conducted by Ciolacu and Grindeanu.”
“The most honest Bolojan also lies when he brags about the work of another, he also lies when he wants to blame others for the documents signed by his hand in the case of SAFE.
As he lied with the deficit, as he lied with inflation. Fortunately, he doesn't have many days left in which he can lie to the Romanians. From May 5, he becomes only the memory of an unfortunate political accident, one with many millions of innocent Romanian victims!”
