Romanian reformist party USR filed a new simple motion against the minister of energy, Virgil Popescu, on June 21.

Titled "Virgil Popescu must leave. Romanians are waiting for solutions," the motion claims that minister Popescu "reached the limit of his competence long before he became a minister."

"However, with the inexplicable support of his colleagues in the Liberal party (PNL) and of president Klaus Iohannis, he has been appointed in all governments in recent years," according to the motion, quoted by Ziarul Financiar.

According to USR lawmakers, under the mandate of Virgil Popescu, the price of energy for the population and companies has risen steadily - which is a fact but arguably imputable to minister Popescu.

Popescu's critics blame him for the poor handling of the energy market liberalisation for residential users in 2021 that ignited later the prices on the back of a combination of insufficient (electricity) production capacities and rising oil and gas prices globally. 

(Photo: Gov.ro)

andrei@romania-insider.com