The general manager of Romania’s national airlines Tarom says that the transport minister asked her to ground five domestic flights on the day of a no-confidence vote in an apparent bid to stop opposition lawmakers reaching the capital on Oct. 10 when Parliament voted to oust the Social Democratic government.
Media reported this week that the plan to thwart lawmakers flying to Bucharest was hatched during a meeting of the Social Democratic Party ahead of the vote.
Madalina Mezei said Friday she’d been initially called to the office of the minister, Razvan Cuc, to cancel five flights and had refused. He also asked her to identify opposition lawmakers who were passengers and called her following day to delay one flight. She claimed the minister came to her home late in the evening to put pressure on her.
Cuc acknowledged that he’d called Mezei „to see if who the lawmakers were and if they were ok,” but insisted he did not have the authority to ground flights. „I didn’t ask ask her to stop any flight and I didn’t speak to a single pilot.”
The government fell anyway, and next day Mezei was fired. The timing of her dismissal raised questions about the motives.
„He called me two days before .. and said we should cancel the fights to stop lawmakers coming to the vote,” she said Friday afternoon. ” I told him it’s impossible because we are not slave masters.” She said she would sue Cuc.
Tarom, however, said Mezei had been fired for management shortcomings.
If proved true, the move, which has shocked public opinion, would be another example of the Social Democrats apparently trying to undermine free market rules for political ends.
“Tarom can’t be involved in such things, in political matters,” Mezei said. “When I was appointed, I wouldn’t get involved in politics, I’d just respect my professional duties to make the company more efficient and that is what I did.”
“It’s more than certain that this is why I was fired,” she said. “They fired me like thieves in the night.”
Amid the uproar, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila sent auditors to the transport ministry and Tarom to clarify how Mezei was fired. She vowed to be „merciless” in dealing with the case.
Cuc did not directly address the allegations, but claimed „lies were being hurled around” and Mezei was not up to the job.
Tarom’s Council of Administration, however, said Mezei had been dismissed because she had failed to modernize the fleet and other management deficiencies, including not communicating the company’s plans about reducing personnel..
One pilot also criticized the alleged government meddling in the company’s business.
“We pilots don’t get involved in politics. We fly aircraft and take passengers safely to their destinations,” said Emil Dobrovolschi, who is also the husband of the spokeswoman of President Klaus Iohannis, a critic of the Social Democrats.
“In an act of revenge politicians have changed the fourth general manager, (this time) one who started in Tarom and had real plans for the future,“ he said.
Acting general manager Valentin Gvinda called on pilots to discuss problems with management.
“Stop your whining and miserable posts on Facebook,” he said in a post on social media. “Show the dignity you have as pilots…. If you really care about Tarom.”
