Home heating advice draws sharp response from Stamate
Former justice minister Olesea Stamate has published a video address criticising former economy minister Eugeniu Osmokescu’s recommendations that citizens should “save on themselves”, and urging the authorities to care for people rather than lecture them.
“Dear rulers, thank you for the advice! We have learned that in winter it is good to wear a sweater, close doors and not heat rooms where we are not present. What would we do without you?” Stamatebegan sarcastically.
According to her, people did not vote for the authorities so that officials could explain how a radiator works.
“They voted for you so that you would find solutions: acceptable prices, compensation that reaches those who really need it, insulated homes, diversified energy sources and a plan prepared in summer, not improvised in November,” she stressed.
“A responsible government does not ask people to tighten their belts. It does its job so that this is not necessary,” Stamate added.
And since the authorities are handing out advice, she offered her own.
“Save on promises, not on heat in people’s homes.”
Osmokescu tells citizens to lower temperatures
The criticism followed Osmokescu’s advice to lower home heating temperatures, after the former economy minister urged citizens to save energy at night.
“Having lived abroad for a very long time, I have never seen anywhere in the world such an irresponsible attitude in winter, when you can afford to have a thermostat in your apartment at night and set it to 18 degrees, for example, or 16 degrees. I lived at 14 degrees, I lived abroad,” Osmokescu said, adding that “the winter will be difficult” and that “we need to start with ourselves”.
In response, Stamate reminded him that citizens have already been saving for several years.
“Mr Minister, do you think we did not save last winter and the winter before, starting from 2022? Since prices shot upwards, have we not saved and lived with 18 or 19 degrees in the house? But what should people with small children do, Mr Minister? Do you recommend living at 14 degrees?” she asked.
“Do not take offence, Mr Minister, but we elected a government that should care for citizens and find solutions, not tell them how to save. We will save. We know that ourselves. What was still missing was for you to look for solutions,” Stamate concluded.
Compensation row widens as Energocom profits come under fire
Meanwhile, critics say there is little sign of care from the authorities, even for vulnerable groups such as pensioners. PSRM MP Vladimir Odnostalco warned that elderly people were being refused heating compensation.
“This must be known. If a pensioner is saving money for a funeral and keeps those savings on a bank card, they may be refused heating compensation. There have already been such cases,” Odnostalc osaid.
He also commented on Energocom’s large profit.
“What does it mean that Energocom earned 700–800 million lei? What does ‘earned’ mean, if this is people’s money?”
The opposition has registered a draft decision to liquidate Energocom and the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE), transferring their powers to the Ministry of Energy. Deputy Speaker Vlad Batrîncea called both structures destructive and said their activity resembled racketeering.
The comparison reflects the opposition’s argument: blackmail, disconnections and public hardship, with citizens left hostage to a monopolist. According to Our Party, in 2024 and 2025 Energocom received combined net profit of more than 1.2 billion lei.
The government has not yet commented on the initiative. Critics, however, expect PAS to block it in the usual way.
For Stamate, the argument over home heating is therefore not about whether people can put on an extra sweater. It is about whether the authorities intend to offer real protection from high tariffs, or merely advise citizens to endure colder homes while state-linked energy structures continue to post large profits.
