Laurențiu Nistor, President of the Hunedoara County Council, has sent an open letter to the President of Romania, the Presidents of the two Chambers of Parliament, and the Government, drawing attention to the increasingly difficult social situation and the deep economic decline facing Hunedoara County.
In this OPEN LETTER, the President of the Hunedoara County Council, Laurențiu Nistor, presents a clear assessment of the current economic situation in Hunedoara County:
“Over the years, the heavy industry of our county has suffered blow after blow, leading to a decrease in the standard of living and a massive depopulation of urban areas. One by one, traditional industrial capacities in mining, energy, and steel production have been shut down, culminating in the recent definitive closure of the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Hunedoara — a decision officially communicated in recent days.
In addition, strategic investments in Hunedoara County lie blocked due to the lack of involvement of central institutions and delays in harmonising national legislation with European law.
Hunedoara County does not ask for charity! We are not requesting subsidies, but rather the opportunity to rebuild — to transform an industrial legacy into an economic future. The closure of the steelworks, of factories in the Brad area, the suppression of mining and the blocking of mineral resource exploitation represent true local tragedies and signal a serious weakness of the State in losing control over its own strategic assets.”
— Laurențiu Nistor, President of the Hunedoara County Council
OPEN LETTER – Full Text
No. 25.172 / 22.10.2025
To:
THE PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA
His Excellency Mr. Nicușor Daniel DAN
THE PARLIAMENT OF ROMANIA
His Excellency Mr. Mircea ABRUDEAN, President of the Senate
His Excellency Mr. Sorin Mihai GRINDEANU, President of the Chamber of Deputies
THE GOVERNMENT OF ROMANIA
His Excellency Mr. Ilie Gavril BOLOJAN, Prime Minister
His Excellency Mr. Marian NEACȘU, Deputy Prime Minister
His Excellency Mr. Radu Ștefan OPREA, Secretary General of the Government
OPEN LETTER
Your Excellency, Mr. President of Romania,
Your Excellency, Mr. President of the Senate,
Your Excellency, Mr. President of the Chamber of Deputies,
Your Excellency, Mr. Prime Minister,
Your Excellency, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister,
Your Excellency, Mr. Secretary General of the Government,
I address you as the representative of a county standing on the brink of economic collapse — a collapse driven by closures, delays, and indifference. Major industrial units are being shut down, strategic projects are paralysed, and the people’s hope fades with every job lost. We are no longer speaking of a simple economic crisis, but of a slow process of annihilation of an entire county — the destruction of a region that, through the labour and sacrifice of its people, helped build modern Romania’s economy.
If no action is taken now, Hunedoara County risks becoming an industrial and social cemetery — an open wound on the map of the country.
THE HUNEDOARA STEEL PLANT
The privatisation of the Hunedoara steelworks in 2003, although it saved the company from immediate liquidation, resulted in a drastic reduction of employees and a prolonged period of economic instability. Whereas at the beginning of the 1990s the plant employed no fewer than 60,000 people (including those at the Călan steelworks), today that number has fallen to 470. The financial data show a fluctuating trajectory, with few profitable years and significant debt, culminating in the decision for definitive closure, officially confirmed on 17 October 2025.
Both local and central authorities have provided the company with all necessary conditions and support to continue its operations — from administrative facilities to concrete commitments of energy assistance. Only days before the closure was announced, when the company’s management invoked energy costs as an obstacle, the Minister of Energy personally guaranteed support. I would like to express my particular gratitude to Mr. Bogdan-Gruia Ivan, Minister of Energy, for his involvement in our efforts to persuade ArcelorMittal’s management to maintain operations at the Hunedoara steelworks.
Nevertheless, the company chose to turn its back and shut down the factory. This decision proves, beyond any doubt, that the entire process was a cynical farce — a premeditated act of economic deception and a shameless pretext to liquidate the Hunedoara plant and turn it into a scrap metal field.
At this moment, four potential investors have expressed interest in acquiring the Hunedoara plant; however, the management of ArcelorMittal refuses any form of communication and, moreover, has forbidden access to the premises.
In light of the announcement of the plant’s definitive closure, I express my deep concern that this decision may soon be followed by the dismantling and relocation of machinery, and the total decommissioning of the plant, with its assets being sold off as “scrap metal”.
In this respect, we respectfully request that you order the following measures:
- Declassification of Privatisation Contract No. 49/28.10.2003, under which SC Siderurgica SA Hunedoara was transferred from state ownership to LNM Holdings/ISPAT (currently ArcelorMittal SA);
- Initiation by the Authority for the Administration of State Assets (AAAS), as the legal successor of APAPS, of a statutory audit procedure regarding compliance with the privatisation contract;
- Suspension of any dismantling, disassembly, or export of equipment and installations until the completion of the audit and clarification of the plant’s legal and patrimonial status. Do not allow them to leave the country with the plant’s equipment!
These measures do not represent a favour, but a moral and national obligation. The Romanian State has the duty to defend its people and honour its industrial past — not to stand idly by as what generations have built through labour and sacrifice is lost.
VALEA JIULUI ENERGY COMPLEX
Four decades ago, Valea Jiului was the energetic heart of Romania, employing over 60,000 miners and energy workers, operating 15 mining sites and producing more than 10 million tonnes of coal annually. The Mintia and Paroșeni thermal power plants functioned at full capacity, sustaining tens of thousands of families through the work carried out underground.
After 1990, instead of implementing a strategy of modernisation and transition, successive governments applied a policy of closure and demolition. This resulted in successive waves of redundancies, a collapse in production from 7 million tonnes to under 300,000 tonnes per year, and today, only 2,300 employees still work in the mining sector.
Valea Jiului Energy Complex currently includes four coal mines — Lupeni, Lonea, Livezeni, and Vulcan — whose extracted coal is burned for neutralisation and electricity generation at the Paroșeni Thermal Power Plant (which possesses the most modern power unit in Romania in terms of environmental compliance technology). These four mines are subject to a closure programme (year 2026 for Lupeni and Lonea, and 2028 for Livezeni and Vulcan). It should be noted that no left-wing government has ever closed mines in Valea Jiului or in any other area of Hunedoara County.
The planned closure of Valea Jiului’s mines according to the imposed deadlines — 2026 and 2028 — is an absurd, dangerous, and irresponsible decision.
A mine cannot be closed halfway through the deposit, leaving unexploited reserves underground and unfinished technical works. The forced cessation of operations without completing extraction and safety works is not only an economic mistake, but a real danger to miners’ lives.
The closure process must be gradual and carried out in parallel with exploitation until the complete exhaustion of the mining fronts; otherwise, we lose not only coal, but also the underground structural stability of the region.
We must not forget the sacrifice and dedication of generations of miners — people who descended daily into the depths of the earth so that Romania could have light and warmth. They bore the burden of this nation in silence, in dust and darkness, while others made decisions from above. They worked, suffered, and endured for the common good. Today, our moral duty is to take care of those who remain — people who still believe that their labour has meaning. Let us not repay them with oblivion and indifference, but with respect, support, and gratitude — for without the miners of Valea Jiului, Romania would not be the same country.
The current deadlines are unrealistic and imposed without discernment. Therefore, we urgently request that the following measures be taken:
- Extension of the mine closure period in Valea Jiului, in order to allow a balanced and realistic economic and social transition — until the end of 2028 for the Lonea and Lupeni mines, and until the end of 2032 for the Vulcan and Livezeni mines;
- Construction of a 500 MWh gas-powered unit at the Paroșeni Thermal Power Plant, to operate in conjunction with the coal unit within the Valea Jiului Energy Complex — a project that has become absolutely vital. The BRUA pipeline, located only a few hundred metres from Paroșeni, presents a rare opportunity for this plant, together with the Mintia Power Station, to become a pillar of energy security for north-western Romania, freeing the entire region from dependence on energy imports. We earnestly request that the Minister of Energy prioritise this strategic investment, as each day of delay turns Hunedoara’s energy potential into a missed opportunity.
In this context, I would like to congratulate the management of SC TRANSGAZ SA and its General Director, Mr Ion Sterian, for honouring their commitment to provide gas supply to the new Mintia Power Station on time and successfully, through the Ø400 pipeline.
Without firm measures and without investment in infrastructure (Valea Jiului lies 100 km from the nearest motorway), the region that once provided Romania with coal, energy, and dignity is being pushed towards depopulation and ruin. This tragedy is not only that of the miners, but of the entire nation, which passively witnesses the extinguishing of the last flames in Romania’s industrial heartland.
Valea Jiului needs support and connectivity: the construction of the Uricani–Băile Herculane road is no longer a mere transport project but a strategic necessity for linking Valea Jiului to the south-west of the country and to European transport corridors. This road would open the isolated Valea Jiului area to tourism, investment, and development — transforming it from a declining region into a genuine economic and tourist hub of Romania.
Likewise, the construction of an expressway connecting Valea Jiului to the A1 motorway would shorten access times to the country’s main industrial and logistics centres, facilitate freight transport and private investment, and finally end the economic isolation of Valea Jiului.
ROVINA GOLD AND COPPER MINING PROJECT (SAMAX)
On 9 November 2018, the Government of Romania approved, through a Government Decision, the Rovina exploitation licence.
The Rovina Mining Project, located in Hunedoara County, aims to exploit three deposits over a period of 35 years. The identified resources within these deposits total 406 million tonnes of ore, containing more than 635,000 tonnes of copper (the second-largest copper resource within the European Union) and approximately 300 tonnes of gold.
The SAMAX Project envisages the creation of approximately 2,000 jobs during the construction phase of the production facilities and more than 600 direct jobs during the exploitation phase, providing decent living conditions for an additional 2,500 local residents. To these, another 1,500–2,000 indirect jobs are expected to be generated in the surrounding area as a result of the project’s development.
Although, on 25 March 2025, the European Commission declared the Rovina Project to be an investment of strategic importance at the level of the European Union, under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA – EU Regulation 2024/1252), exploitation activities have still not begun to this day.
The main reason lies in the administrative blockage caused by the failure to harmonise national legislation with European law, a responsibility that falls under the Ministry of Economy, which has not yet adapted the Romanian legislative framework to allow for the direct implementation of CRMA provisions.
I personally facilitated a meeting with the Minister of Economy to present this issue, yet no response was received — the Minister seems to be in a state of dormancy.
In this context, we urge the immediate harmonisation of national legislation with the European Union’s CRMA Regulation, so that the Rovina mining project may commence under legal, transparent, and EU-compliant conditions.
Any further delay represents an unjustified form of institutional paralysis, with direct negative consequences for the economic development of Hunedoara County.
CERTEJU DE SUS GOLD AND SILVER MINING PROJECT (DEVA GOLD)
Another project of major importance for Hunedoara County’s economy — the exploitation of gold and silver ores in the Certeju de Sus perimeter — is currently blocked due to institutional negligence and administrative indifference.
Exploitation Licence No. 435/1999, for the Certeju de Sus perimeter, expired on 24 January 2025, and despite the licence holder’s compliance with all legal procedures, it has not been renewed.
In December 2024, the National Agency for Mineral Resources (NAMR) published, for consultation, the draft Government Decision necessary for renewal, yet the procedure was halted by bureaucracy: a postponed government meeting, a missing opinion from the Ministry of Justice, and a €200 million project left unresolved.
This administrative negligence pushes Deva Gold S.A. into operational difficulty and condemns the entire local community to stagnation. It is an absurd situation: the Romanian State, a 19.25% shareholder through Minvest Deva, passively witnesses the blocking of a project from which it should have benefited directly — through royalties and economic development in a county facing collapse.
The Certej Project involves investments worth hundreds of millions of euros, more than 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and 500 jobs in the operational phase, for a period of 15–30 years.
Instead of these economic benefits, we are now facing stalled files, missed deadlines, and yet another blow to Hunedoara County — a county seemingly condemned not by the lack of resources, but by the indifference of the Romanian State.
THE MIHĂILENI WATER RESERVOIR ON THE CRIȘUL ALB RIVER
The “Mihăileni Reservoir on the Crișul Alb River, Hunedoara County” was approved as an investment objective of national interest and public utility — an investment initiated in 1987, yet still not completed after nearly 40 years.
Although the dam structure was formally accepted in March 2022, the project, which has reached over 90% implementation, has once again come to a standstill.
The works for arranging the accumulation lake were suspended following legal actions by an environmental organisation, and the partial acceptance report was subsequently revoked by Romanian Waters – Crișuri Basin Administration (ABA Crișuri).
The objectives underlying this investment include ensuring water supply for the population and industrial area, electricity generation (including through the construction of micro-hydropower plants), and flood protection for an extended sector of the Crișul Alb river, namely Mihăileni–Gurahonț.
We therefore respectfully request that the following measures be ordered:
- Establish binding deadlines for the completion of all remaining components (lake arrangement, access routes, commissioning), correlated with secured financing;
- Immediate legal unblocking: creation of an inter-institutional task force (comprising the Ministry of Environment, NAMR/ABA Crișuri, the Ministry of Development, and the Ministry of Justice) to manage ongoing litigations and to update authorisation/approval documentation in accordance with current legislation, so that the suspended works may legally resume;
- Public timetable and quarterly reporting on physical and financial progress, with publication of all stage documents (opinions, acceptances, court rulings) on the official websites of the Ministry of Environment and Romanian Waters until the project’s full commissioning.
We cannot accept that a dam begun in 1987, with its body received in 2022, should remain abandoned because of administrative deadlock and unresolved legal challenges.
The Minister of Environment has declared that “the time of consultations and commissions has passed, and that the Government of Romania guarantees that no project with real impact on citizens and the environment will be abandoned.”
This strategic project must therefore be completed and made operational without delay!
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The aforementioned projects represent not only local interests but strategic national priorities whose implementation would directly contribute to Romania’s energy security, industrial revitalisation, and economic resilience.
Hunedoara County possesses the full potential to become a model region for transition — from heavy industry to sustainable, diversified development.
However, this transition cannot occur through neglect, endless bureaucracy, or ministerial inaction. It requires political will, institutional accountability, and immediate action.
In this regard, I respectfully request:
- That the Government of Romania urgently adopt the legislative and administrative measures necessary to unlock the blocked investment projects in Hunedoara County;
- That the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Environment coordinate their actions under a single national strategy, to ensure the continuation and completion of ongoing strategic projects;
- That the Prime Minister designate a special governmental coordinator for the Hunedoara–Valea Jiului region, empowered to monitor and accelerate all infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects of national interest;
- That the Ministry of European Investments and Projects include these objectives within the European funding programmes for the 2026–2030 period, with dedicated financing lines for industrial reconversion and the creation of green jobs in former mono-industrial areas.
Hunedoara County — once the industrial heart of Romania — must not be left to collapse in silence.
The fate of Hunedoara today foreshadows the fate of the entire Romanian industry tomorrow.
It is our duty, as representatives of the Romanian people, to act now, not merely to preserve the dignity of a county, but to restore the country’s economic sovereignty.
We do not ask for privileges — only for justice, fairness, and efficiency in the application of public policy.
Behind every mine, every factory, every industrial ruin, there are people — workers, engineers, and families who have carried this country through their labour.
They deserve more than indifference and bureaucratic excuses.
For this reason, we call upon:
- The President of Romania, to personally intervene in ensuring inter-ministerial coordination for the resumption of strategic investments in Hunedoara County;
- The Prime Minister, to take concrete measures for implementing the above-mentioned points;
- The Ministers of Energy, Economy, and Environment, to exercise their legal authority in an efficient and responsible manner, removing all administrative and legislative obstacles that currently hinder progress.
I reiterate our readiness for institutional collaboration and for the immediate formation of a joint working group with government representatives, in order to define and monitor the objectives detailed above.
This appeal is not a political request but a call for national responsibility.
With the highest consideration,
Laurențiu Nistor
President of the Hunedoara County Council
Deva, Romania