Grindeanu Accused of Losing Cluj Metro Funding
MEP Siegfried Mureșan accuses Sorin Grindeanu of losing EU funding for Cluj metro. The project, part of the PNRR, was allocated €300 million. Funding was later removed, requiring alternative sources. Mureșan criticizes PSD ministries for delays and inefficiencies. Cluj metro project faces new financial challenges.
MEP Siegfried Mureșan has accused Romanian Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu of losing important EU funding for the Cluj-Napoca metro project. This project was originally included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) with an allocation of approximately 300 million euros. According to Mureșan, the funds were lost under Grindeanu's tenure as the Transport Minister, as he stated on Facebook.
The Cluj metro project, a significant part of Romania's infrastructure plans, was later removed from the PNRR, forcing authorities to seek alternative funding sources. Mureșan, in his statements, pointed out that problems with the PNRR were most prevalent in ministries led by the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He further criticized Grindeanu's ministry for also losing EU funds designated for the Caransebeș-Timișoara-Arad railway. The accusations came amid broader concerns about fund management.
In late 2022, a contract for the Cluj metro funding was signed. Grindeanu announced a total investment of 13.69 billion lei. This announcement included 1.48 billion lei from the PNRR for the first stage, which was to cover a 9.16 km line with nine stations and a depot.
A major setback.
Despite these plans, in October 2024, Adrian Câciu, then Minister of Investments and European Projects, announced the removal of the Cluj metro from the PNRR, reallocating the 300 million euros to other investments. Câciu suggested exploring funding through the Transport Program and green bonds.
In response to the funding challenges, the Cluj-Napoca Local Council approved a partnership with Metrorex in January 2026 to secure funding from the Transport Program for 2021-2027. The construction consortium led by Gülermak had been awarded the project contract, with execution expected to last eight years. Authorities scrambled for alternatives. The timeline remained ambitious despite the setback.
Mureșan has been vocal about the inefficiencies within the PSD-controlled ministries, accusing them of causing significant delays. He claims that while the Bolojan Government managed to save PNRR funds, the PSD took undue credit for reforms. Mureșan also criticized the Labour Ministry under PSD for not meeting a important unitary salary law milestone, further jeopardizing funds. The political finger-pointing intensified as deadlines approached and stakeholders grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on critical infrastructure investments.
The Cluj metro project, if completed, is estimated by the Cluj-Napoca City Hall to serve 164,000 daily passengers. However, as of now, with the PNRR funds no longer available, the project's financial future remains uncertain.
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