Romanian minister suggests renegotiating SAFE contracts “at risk of penalties”

“I think Romania now has people [following the swearing-in of the new Social Democratic government] who can convince Brussels that we were stupid, that we were scoundrels, that we were corrupt, and that we need a new chance to put these things right,” minister Ghigiu said, indirectly accusing the interim government led by Liberal (PNL) prime minister Ilie Bolojan.

“I think it is mandatory for the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have such a discussion in order to renegotiate these contracts, even at the risk of penalties,” Ghigiu said in an interview with Antena 3, as reported by News.ro.

Under the SAFE programme, Romania has been allocated a total of EUR 16.68 billion.

The largest share of this funding is earmarked for major defence contracts. These include a EUR 3.337 billion contract with Rheinmetall Automecanica SRL for infantry fighting vehicles, followed by a EUR 981.95 million contract with Rheinmetall Italia S.p.A. for advanced air defence systems.

NVL B.V. & Co. KG holds a contract worth approximately EUR 920 million for naval vessels, while General Dynamics European Land Systems is involved in an initial phase worth EUR 831.2 million for Piranha 5 armoured vehicles.

The remaining EUR 4.2 billion of the total allocation is managed by national transport authorities for strategic highway infrastructure projects on the A7 and A8.