Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Sorin Grindeanu said on Saturday in Târgoviste that, although he is Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies - the third-ranking official in the state - he learned about the SAFE program "from sources" and does not know from coalition partners how the funds are being used.
"I don't like hearing about this program called SAFE from sources. (...) I don't know whether this program is for armaments or for using around 16 billion for the defense industry. I, as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the third person in the state, tell you that I don't know anything about this program. Apart from the 4 billion out of 16 that go to military mobility and highway construction, I don't know where the remaining 12 billion are going. And this is borrowed money, it must be paid back by the Romanian people, not by Ilie Bolojan or Miruta," Grindeanu said.
He added that investments in Romania's defense industry are necessary.
"I can understand one, two, three billion going into, let's say, shopping. But the remaining eight or nine billion must be invested in the defense industry. And here in Dambovita County you have defense factories. Apart from a handful of people, who today knows where these billions are going? And we are the ones who must pay them back," Grindeanu argued.
According to the Ministry of National Defense website, the SAFE instrument is a new EU financial mechanism, guaranteed by EU funds, designed to support member states wishing to invest in the defense industry through joint public procurement focused on priority military capabilities and dual-use infrastructure.
Sorin Grindeanu took part on Saturday in Targoviste in the County Conference of the Dambovita League of Local Elected Officials. PSD ministers Alexandru Rogobete, Florin Manole, Bogdan Ivan, Radu Marinescu and Florin Barbu, as well as PSD Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neacsu, also attended.
Comentează