Romania is facing a complicated situation in terms of public trust, with people no longer believing in politicians - and, more worryingly, no longer trusting state institutions either, Senate President Mircea Abrudean said on Friday.
"Unfortunately, Romania finds itself in a complicated situation when it comes to trust. No one trusts politicians anymore - that's clear (...). But what's even more serious is that no one trusts state institutions either. And we've reached this point because too many politicians - and I include myself in this category - have talked far too much and done far too little. Or many talk about topics they don't understand, simply because in politics everyone feels entitled to speak about everything. It's a big mistake, and that's how we've ended up in this situation where Romanians no longer trust the state," Abrudean said at the Cybersecurity in Energy Forum.
He added that this lack of trust also fuels "fake news" and disinformation, "because people no longer believe what they are told."
The Senate president stressed that positive developments should also be highlighted, "to show the light at the end of the tunnel, as we used to say," mentioning the OECD, which "99% of Romanians don't even know about."
"And that's our fault, because we don't know how to explain it. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is Romania's most important national objective after NATO and the European Union. It translates into external credibility - which we lack - and lower interest rates for state borrowing, which are currently extremely high. The Romanian state pays 11 billion euros a year in interest, because it borrows like any other state. And it also means investment. That's what the OECD represents, and I try to explain this every time so people see we're doing constructive things too. In 2026, Romania will become an OECD member state, if all goes well, and the effects on the economy will be visible shortly after," Abrudean said.
He also warned that "everyone now feels entitled to comment on matters they shouldn't," citing the recent debate over "the famous drones and the famous F-16 aircraft."
"I remind you of a very recent incident, where once again everyone started commenting - including politicians, who claim to know everything - on what the F-16 pilots should have done: whether they should have fired or not, whether they should have shot down the drones or not. It's an extremely sensitive issue, and as Senate President I can't allow myself to comment on something I don't know about. Those who should speak are the ones responsible - the Minister of Defence and the President. That's it. Theorists, experts, philosophers - it's not their job to say whether the pilot should have fired or not. (...) We're talking about Romania's security here. There are legal instruments in place - the Senate has already approved legislation allowing drones to be shot down if necessary. Whether or not that happens is up to those responsible," he said.
Abrudean also referred to criticism of the current government, noting that many of those who now oppose it from within offered no alternative solutions when the cabinet was formed.
"When this government was formed - and I was part of those discussions, including at Cotroceni - I didn't see many of those who now criticise its measures coming up with other solutions. Nobody did. Nor did anyone raise their hand and say: I want to be Prime Minister in this difficult situation and provide all the magic solutions. That didn't happen. That's why it's important to have a realistic picture of our problems - but also serious, applicable solutions," he said.
The Senate President added that those in leadership positions should listen more to people who genuinely have something to say, as effective solutions often come from them.
"My main message is about trust, because that's what we lack right now. When you look at any channel - not just TV but online news - all you see is 'breaking news', shock, tragedy, talk of war, or foreign powers taking our resources. It's hard to have faith when no one from the state leadership comes forward to explain that things aren't as bleak as they seem, that we do have a national project and a clear direction - such as OECD accession. (...) We need more confidence, because Romania is moving in the right direction despite its challenges. What's important is that we still have moments when we meet, discuss and listen - because that's what we, those in leadership, often fail to do. We need to listen more to those who have something meaningful to say, because in the end, the solutions come from you," Abrudean concluded.
Mircea Abrudean took part in the third edition of the Cybersecurity in Energy Forum, organised in Cluj-Napoca by Distributie Energie Electrica Romania (DEER), bringing together key players from the energy and information technology sectors.
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