Romanian prime minister clashes with foreign minister over Elon Musk retort

Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu recently stated during an interview that foreign minister Emil Hureaznu will be replaced if he continues to send messages to private individuals, such as those addressed to Elon Musk, without consulting him.

The warning comes after Emil Hurezeanu stated on Saturday, February 22, that Elon Musk’s support for Călin Georgescu could be considered a form of interference in another country's elections.

Then, on Thursday, February 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) responded on X to Musk’s posts about the investigation launched by prosecutors against the former presidential candidate.

"I saw that Mr. Hurezeanu went out once and scolded Mr. Elon Musk. I see him again today, I think, doing the same thing - scolding Mr. Elon Musk again. [...] when Mr. Hurezeanu posts on X or Twitter, he must understand that Romania has a structured administration, and he represents the government of Romania. The government of Romania is led by Marcel Ciolacu,” the prime minister said, according to Digi24.

“Before making comments or responding to individuals - after all, Mr. Elon Musk is a private individual, not a diplomat, and he does not hold an official position in the Trump administration - he must first consult with the prime minister, and we must decide together," Ciolacu said on Romania TV.

When asked what would happen if Hurezeanu did not comply with the prime minister's request, Ciolacu said “Mr. Hurezeanu will go home, as is normal in any democratic state, because, I repeat, the Government of Romania is led by Marcel Ciolacu."

Hurezeanu is a former ambassador to Germany and Austria who became minister with the backing of the National Liberal Party, part of the coalition government. Marcel Ciolacu, who heads the executive, is president of the Social Democratic Party, the largest party in the coalition. However, clashes between him and Hurezeanu may lead to further disputes in the coalition.

Elon Musk had claimed in a post on X that Călin Georgescu, the far-right politician who emerged from obscurity to the first place in the now-cancelled presidential elections, had been “arrested” on February 26. However, the politician was stopped in traffic by the police and taken to the Prosecutor General's Office for questioning, but was later