It is healthy for a director of services to have a limited mandate. It’s a gesture of democratic health. It is a wrong custom in our country, that those who hold positions of power do not leave them until the last moment. Most people who hold power do not relinquish it when they achieve their goals for various reasons. I personally believe that such a step is needed. It is primarily a gesture of democratic health, which I have argued unequivocally since the first year of my mandate. It is healthy for democracy, for the balance of power in the state, for an intelligence service director to have a time-limited mandate.

Petrification in the office is not good; it can lead to setting wrong objectives for the institution, to losing contact with social reality, to confusion between the institution and the person who holds the mandate as director. I do not want this for myself, nor for an institution that is more valuable than any director it has had. I do not want to avoid the frontal approach of a topic that is legitimately debated in the public space: the position of director of an intelligence service gives access to a significant volume of sensitive information. I don’t think it’s good for democracy for one person to concentrate exposure to classified information for a long time. Quite simply, I believe that the citizens and the state are better served if the leadership of the SRI is succeeded by leaders at clearly established time intervals. I believe that since I have achieved my stated goals, there is no reason to continue to exercise this position.

The head of the Romanian Intelligence Service on his resignation from office

Despite the official announcement, Bucharest journalists feel this move prepares a bigger one for the elections in 2024. Namely, Eduard Hellvig could prepare for the presidential elections from next year.

The current president Klaus Johannis finishes his second term int he office and he is not able to help his party, the National Liberals, too much. The party needs a strong leader, but the current one, former Chief of Army Staff, Nicolae Ciuca, is not much of a politician, despite his experience as Prime Minister. If he would run for the presidency in 2024, his chances of gathering enough political support and votes are questionable.

This is why such a political move is done way ahead of the next year’s elections. Namely, Eduard Hellvig has plenty of political experience, as he was in the management of the National Liberal Party, but also has the necessary leadership abilities to coordinate the party’s efforts for the next year’s elections.

Of course, it is too early to jump to conclusions now, but such a scenario is plausible in the current political context. Either way, the resignation of Eduard Hellvig is quite a significant event in the regional context, with the Ukrainian – Russian conflict at the border.

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At the 15th anniversary of the Security and Intelligence Studies at the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, the head of the SRI, Eduard Hellvig, made certain statements that captured the attention of the Romanian public and media.

Eduard Hellvig stated that the significant gain of his mandate at the head of the SRI was the separation from politics, which he considers absolutely normal in a democratic society. In his opinion, politics and intelligence-gathering activity should not overlap, arguing that too many politicians, in previous decades, got used to receiving indications or suggestions about what to do.

However, the great gain of this mandate was the separation from politics, absolutely normal in a democratic society. Policy and information gathering activity must not overlap. Too often, however, past mistakes also affect the behaviour of those in the present. Too many politicians, in previous decades, have become accustomed to receiving “directions” or “suggestions” about what to do. (…) Too many want others to make decisions for them, too many even expect to receive suggestions from secret services. We will only strengthen democracy when we stimulate each institution to assume the mandate it has, without abuses and without excesses.

Eduard Hellvig, director of Romanian Intelligence Service

The SRI leader pointed out a severe problem in the Romanian political society, although he stated it too politely. Romanian politicians proved too often incapable of handling the tasks deriving from their leadership positions. Romania has people in leading positions who are still expecting directions instead of making decisions independently.

Even so, with the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service unhappy with this situation, we must ask ourselves: how many times did the secret service interfere with political decisions in Romania? And most important, has the current leader of the SRI succeeded in separating the two activities, the political and the intelligence-gathering?

No doubt that Romanian political parties are paying the press media to improve their image. In this case, Romanians should ask themselves: who are the people who actually make the decisions instead of those voted for, and why are there incompetent people in leadership positions?

Why are they voted, then? Why do Romanian people offer their votes and trust to those who cannot take matters into their own hands, let alone do their tasks? Who are responsible for the situation in Romania – politicians or secret service agencies?

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The Romanian Police investigators think it was a car bomb

Judiciary sources talk about a bomb planted on purpose. The vehicle, a Mercedes limousine, was destroyed completely after the explosion.

The Romanian Intelligence Service official position: it was NOT a terrorist attack!

Romanian Intelligence Service – SRI and the National Police Department sent specialized teams from Bucharest to investigate the killing. According to SRI, a terrorist attack is excluded, but the police are investigating a potential bomb kill.

It is the first bomb incident of this kind in Romania in recent decades and the authorities take the investigations very seriously.

Video footage of the moment when the car exploded, killing the local Romanian businessman

The first images from the surveillance cameras placed in the area were already broadcast by one of the national TV stations.

Controversy related to the car bomb killing

The local businessman was implied in another violent incident years ago when his house was reportedly set on fire. Also, he reported to the police that thieves stole 400,000 Euros from his house, but the culprits have never been identified.

The deceased businessman, 66, owned a fish farm in Arad, Romania.

Photo source: ISU Arad

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