Who toppled Ilie Bologian's government - the Romanians or the Americans? This question arose in the public sphere in Romania after the “Wall Street Journal“ wrote that US ambassador to Athens Kimberly Guilfoyle had boasted that she was involved in the fall of the Romanian government, writes the “Adeverul“ newspaper.
The publication of the American publication triggered an avalanche of questions and explanations from influential Romanian politicians.
"Wall Street Journal" writes that at a dinner in Athens in March, attended by Greek and American representatives, Kimberly Guilfoyle argued with Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou. Speaking about the imminent fall of the Romanian government, headed by Ilie Bolognese, the American ambassador told those present: "We can do this in any country, wherever we want. We can do this here (in Greece - ed. note)". This was told to the "Wall Street Journal" by a source who attended the dinner. According to the publication of the American publication, quoted by Romanian media, the Greek Energy Minister replied that the United States cannot change the government of Greece, which was elected by the people.
Romanian TV Digi 24 reports that the ambassador's lawyer has disputed the way the conversation was described. The publication, however, caused a stormy reaction in Romania, as local media also reported a meeting in a restaurant in Bucharest on March 31, which was attended by the US ambassador to Athens Kimberly Guilfoyle, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sorin Grindeanu, the then Minister of Energy from the SDP, Bogdan Ivan, and presidential advisor Florin Vladica. The meeting took place before the internal party referendum in the SDP, after which the largest parliamentary force left the ruling coalition and subsequently submitted a vote of no confidence against the government together with the far right.
The independent news website G4Media (G4Media) called the case “KimberlyGate“.
The Romanian website specifies that the American newspaper “Wall Street Journal“ is actually investigating the promotion by the ambassador in Athens of the American gas company “Venture Global“ to the detriment of other similar American companies and the Greek concern “Atlantic-SEE LNG“, formed by the Greek companies DEPA and Actor. Kimberly Guilfoyle actively supports the interest of the three companies to sell American liquefied natural gas through the Vertical Gas Corridor to the countries of the region, including Romania. The problem with American gas, however, is its price, which is often above the market price, points out “GiForMedia“ and adds that former Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan tried at least twice to get state-owned companies to buy American gas regardless of the price.
The revelations by “The Wall Street Journal“ raise a number of questions about the motivations of the Social Democratic Party and the “Alliance for the Unification of Romanians“ (AUR) to submit a vote of no confidence against the government of Ilie Bologian, points out „GiForMedia“ and recalls that AUR leader Gheorghe Simion presents himself as „a good friend of the ambassador“.
The „moment of truth“ has come for the leaders of the SDP and AUR, writes „GiForMedia“ and recalls the steps of the SDP, which led to the fall of the Bologian government.
„Nobody understood Grindeanu's plan at that moment”, the site also points out and defines the moves of the SDP leader Sorin Grindeanu as „an illogical political decision, hand in hand with the extremist AUR party“.
After the revelations of „Wall Street Journal“ A series of questions arise, writes “GiForMedia“ and lists: did Sorin Grindeanu and Gheorghe Simion have any conversation about overthrowing the Bolognese government; was the decision for a joint vote of no confidence by the PSD and AUR influenced by the US ambassador to Athens and the companies she promotes; do the PSD and AUR leaderships have a parallel agenda that contradicts their sovereigntist and anti-interventionist doctrine?
At the moment, it is not clear whether the ambassador's actions are in accordance with guidelines given by the Trump administration or represent her own agenda, the same publication notes and recalls that Kimberly Guilfoyle is the former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr. and a former host on “Fox News“.
Digi 24 TV recalls that Kimberly Guilfoyle is a well-known supporter of President Donald Trump and the Trump family. She has been heavily involved in promoting the Vertical Gas Corridor, designed to transport gas from Greece to Bulgaria, Romania and further to Central and Eastern Europe. Digi 24 points out that the project is supported at the diplomatic level in the United States. In September 2026, the expansion of the Vertical Corridor to the Western Balkans was formalized through a memorandum signed in Thessaloniki in the presence of several energy ministers, regional operators and the US ambassador to Greece, the Romanian television recalls.
„The former host of „Fox News“ has toured the Balkans to help Europe wean itself off energy dependence on Russia through a "vertical gas corridor" designed to receive American liquefied natural gas in Greece and pipe it to Ukraine, writes Digi 24, citing the Wall Street Journal. "But it has puzzled government officials throughout the region by insistently promoting specific Greek companies and by efforts to bring in Christos Marafatsos - a new face in both diplomacy and the energy sphere. The Trump administration wanted allies on the eastern edge of Europe to buy billions of dollars worth of American natural gas," writes the Wall Street Journal, cited by Digi 24.
The vertical corridor is a project that facilitates the transfer of gas from Greece to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The US has invested in industrial facilities so that the liquefied gas can be regasified and transported through pipelines, which raises the price, the Romanian television notes.
Reservations were expressed in Romania regarding both the price and the economic logic of such a purchase, Digi 24 points out.
Against the backdrop of the meeting that Sorin Grindeanu had with the US ambassador in Athens on March 31, that is, before the internal party referendum on the Social Democratic Party's exit from the ruling coalition and the subsequent vote of no confidence against the government of Ilie Bologian, media and politicians in Bucharest are wondering if there is a connection between these events.
The leader of the center-right party “Union for the Salvation of Romania” Dominik Fritz asked on Saturday the leaders of the PSD and the AUR – Sorin Grindeanu and Gheorghe Simion, to provide explanations, reported Digi 24.
„Mr. Grindeanu, what did you discuss at the table on March 31? Did you talk about the vote of no confidence? If „yes“, what were you promised in return? Private flights? Luxury villas? Commission from a gas contract at an inflated price (…)?“, wrote Dominik Fritz on Facebook.
The Social Democratic Party reacted to the publication of „Wall Street Journal“ and informed that the conversation with the US ambassador to Greece, which took place in Bucharest, referred to the Vertical Gas Corridor – „a strategic energy route in which Romania could have an important transit role“, reported Romanian media. The SDP reminds that this is also included in the program of proposals for Prime Minister Siegfried Mureşan.
The leader of the “Alliance for the Unification of Romanians“ (AUR) Gheorghe Simion told “GiForMedia“ that he is “good friends“ with the US ambassador to Athens, although there is no information in the public domain about bilateral meetings between the two. Simion rejected the idea that the Bolognese government fell from power after the intervention of Kimberly Guilfoyle.
“I know her and I consider myself good friends with the ambassador. I have not had such conversations, our position regarding the governance of the SDP-PLP-SSR has been constant“, pointed out Gheorghe Simion, referring to the former ruling coalition before the Social Democrats left it in April.
“Knowing the situation, I am sure that this is a fabricated statement or taken out of context. As a Romanian politician, I do not accept external interference, even from strategic American partners“, he told “GiForMedia“ Gheorghe Simion.
According to the media, however, Sorin Grindeanu and Gheorghe Simion should explain their close relationship with the American ambassador in Athens officially, for example within the framework of a special parliamentary inquiry committee.
The nominee for Prime Minister, Siegfried Mureşan, who is from the National Liberal Party of Ilie Bolognese, also demanded explanations from the politicians who participated in the meeting with the American ambassador, reports Digi 24.
“I don't know if they conspired, but I watched that video with Mr. Grindeanu and the ambassador, and Romanians should know that this is not what a politician who represents Romania on the international stage looks like. Indeed, there is a certain smell of conspiracy and obviously Mr. Grindeanu and his colleagues from the PSD should tell us what they did, what they discussed and what goals they pursued in those meetings (…)“, said Siegfried Mureşan, quoted by Digi 24.
“The issue is extremely serious. My assessment is that the publications on the subject in the international press are just beginning, because from what I have seen, many international opinion leaders are discussing the issue and I fear that this is only the beginning. "That's why we need clarity, especially from the representatives of the Romanian state who have been involved in such talks," added the nominee for prime minister of Romania, who will seek a vote of confidence in parliament on Wednesday, September 30.