Marcel Ciolacu: Energy prices for the population will remain capped at the current level / It is excluded that we will not pay the compensation

PSD President Marcel Ciolacu said Tuesday evening on Antena 3 that the price the population will pay for energy will remain capped at the current level of 0.68 lei per kilowatt for consumption under 100 kw per month and 0.8 lei for consumption between 100 and 300 kw.

Ciolacu said he wants prices to be capped until 2025, by means of a law to be adopted by 1 September.
As for the money the state would have to pay to support this price, „it is excluded that we do not pay this compensation”. „We have the budgetary resources to cover this compensation,” the PSD leader assured.

Marcel Ciolacu blamed the liberalisation of the energy market, which he called „the most tragic” decision adopted „at the worst possible time” and which only reinvented the „smart energy guys”.

He blamed the fact that „energy is bought at one price and comes back at ten times the price” and called for energy produced in Romania „to be found in Romania first”.

Asked how he commented on the claims by Cristian Popa, member of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (NBR), that if the cap-and-trade scheme were to remain in its current form and cost 40 billion lei, there is a possibility that the budget deficit would jump to 9% of GDP this year, Marcel Ciolacu replied:

„I fully agree with him. That is why we will come by 1 September with a decision (…) Wait and see all the solutions.” – will you find another formula? „Formulas… I like simple things and I have seen past formulas that could not be applied. Those formulas only come from one ministry. I like simple things and I don’t think we should be inventing hot water.”