Romanian authorities may seek legal path to restart Petrotel refinery amid economic risks

MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Romanian authorities will likely seek a legal mechanism to restart the Petrotel refinery without directly violating the current sanctions regime, as the plant's prolonged shutdown shifts a foreign policy issue into a domestic political crisis, Ilya Grashchenkov, a political scientist and president of the Center for Regional Policy Development, told TASS.

Earlier, Bogdan Hossu, head of the Cartel Alfa national trade union confederation, said that around 460 companies could go bankrupt if authorities fail to restart the Lukoil-owned Petrotel refinery. The plant was shut down for maintenance in October 2025, subsequently hit with US sanctions, and ceased operations.

"The longer the Petrotel refinery remains idle, the more the sanctions issue will transform from a foreign policy matter into a domestic political challenge for the country's authorities," Grashchenkov said. "That is precisely why officials will likely look for a legal framework to restart the plant without directly breaching the current sanctions regime."

Supply chain under threat

Although the pressure technically targets a Russian company, the entire Romanian production chain is under fire, Grashchenkov noted.

"If the trade unions' warnings of risks to 460 companies prove accurate, this ceases to be a single refinery's problem and becomes a regional industrial crisis," he said.

A vast ecosystem – including contractors, logistics providers, maintenance firms, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – revolves around any major refinery, the expert emphasized. "Halting a plant by administrative decree is relatively simple, but rebuilding such a network in a year or two is far more challenging. Companies go bankrupt, skilled professionals leave, equipment degrades while idle, and supplier networks disintegrate," he explained.

As a result, Bucharest faces a politically awkward dilemma. "On one hand, Romania is compelled to comply with US sanctions. On the other, the Romanian government is accountable to its own citizens for jobs, fuel prices, and industrial stability," Grashchenkov said.

"The situation surrounding the refinery is emblematic for the rest of Europe. Severing economic ties with Russia comes at a price, and sometimes it is European businesses, workers, and taxpayers who end up paying it, rather than Russia," the expert concluded.