Mihai David, Hidroelectrica's general manager, had a tenseexchange with a representative of Petrom yesterday, culminating inthe "Let's not turn Romania into the OMV Republic" line. Suchexchanges between Romanian and foreign company representatives hadnever been seen before.
The reaction of David, who holds a key position in thereorganisation process of the national energy system, as head ofone of the two state-owned giants, Hidroenergetica, came as aresult of statements made by a representative of Petrom during aMediafax conference on energy.
Razvan Nicolescu, Petrom's corporate affairs director, that isthe official in charge of the company's image and relations withthe authorities, had said the National Energy Regulatory Authority(ANRE) shared headquarters with Hidroelectrica, which was notappropriate, considering the authority should be independent.
The exchange between the representatives of a state-ownedcompany and of a foreign energy company is the first to have everhappened during an official event.
Moreover, David's statements come at a time when the Romanianstate's strategy about privatisations has radically changed.
Over the last few years and especially because of the crisis,the Romanian state has moved from the privatisation of energycomplexes and the sale of hydropower plants to the concept of"national champions", powerful structures capable of taking ontheir 'peers' in the developed economies on equal footing, eventhough the state has yet to show it can create such champions.
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