site.btaRomanian Envoy to US Explains His Mission in Washington amid Growing Domestic Criticism

Dragos Sprinceana, one of the two special envoys appointed by Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to the US, explained Monday in an interview with the Romanian TV station Digi24 that his role is to facilitate communication between the Romanian authorities and the new administration of US President Donald Trump. “I am not an envoy of Ciolacu, but of Romania,” said Sprinceana, adding that the Romanian public and politicians do not fully understand what lobbying in the US actually means.

Sprinceana explained that in the US, politics works through lobbying networks, and his task as an envoy is to open doors, conduct negotiations, and present Romania in a positive light. “Our job is to make American politicians and the Trump administration understand that Romania is a friend and strategic partner that will never oppose the US,” he added.

Romania’s envoy said that he has no official mandate from the Romanian Government and has only been asked to mediate certain discussions and open communication channels. He emphasized that he does not receive payment from the Romanian State and is not a Government employee. “I did it out of good will and because I love my country,” he added.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Sprinceana expressed the opinion that French President Emmanuel Macron wants the conflict to continue, while the US is striving to end it. “I am not a fan of President Macron, and I believe that 99% of Republicans in the US are not either. In my opinion, the values of the European Union are completely different from what Macron is trying to do now,” he added.

When asked what position he would express in talks with Republican leaders in the US, he said, “The American administration should understand and somewhat ignore Romania's pro-Ukrainian and pro-French messages because we have an acting President who will not matter in a month or a month and a half.”

In his words, ties with the US should be resumed once Romania has a new head of State.

On April 3, Ciolacu announced that he had sent two Romanian envoys to the US to discuss visa waivers with representatives of Donald Trump's administration. He declined to name them. One of the envoys has publicly confirmed his involvement, while the other remains unidentified. According to the Adevarul newspaper, the second envoy is Lucian Romascanu, who is currently proposed as a member of the European Court of Auditors from Romania.

Ciolacu's decision to send two envoys to the US has sparked significant criticism among politicians. Former Romanian President Traian Basescu sharply reacted, saying on B1 TV that Ciolacu has usurped the powers of the country's acting President Ilie Bolojan. “Relations with other countries are the responsibility of the country’s president. Therefore, ambassadors are appointed by the president, not the prime minister,” Basescu commented. He also pointed out that all embassies in Bucharest have informed their respective countries that the Prime Minister is not working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with Romania’s Ambassador to the US, but rather with "a man who has about a thousand trucks and no diplomatic experience."

Criticism of the Romanian Prime Minister also came from presidential candidate and leader of the opposition party Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi. On her official Facebook profile, she demanded that Ciolacu clarify the statements made by Sprinceana regarding relations with the US, the EU, and support for Ukraine, emphasizing that if the businessman’s remarks represent the executive’s position, his resignation would be "necessary."

Romanian media reports that Sprinceana is 45 years old and comes from Constanta, where he graduated from the Faculty of Financial Management and Accounting. He emigrated to the US in 2002. Currently, he heads GoldCoast Logistics Group, which manages six transportation companies with headquarters in Illinois, Arizona, and Florida, as well as offices in Constanta, Baia Mare, and Chisinau. The company employs over 350 people and has an annual turnover of USD 60 million.