CNSAS documents debunk myths of thriving Romanian communist industry

Recently published documents from the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS) challenge the myth of a thriving communist-era industry in Romania. A September 1989 report, previously marked “Secret”, reveals that the economic success promoted by Nicolae Ceaușescu’s propaganda was an illusion maintained through false reporting and fictitious production figures.

The documents describe an economic model heavily reliant on disproportionate heavy industry and petrochemistry that lacked market logic. Romania frequently imported raw materials using hard currency only to export low-quality finished goods, often at a loss, simply to meet five-year plan targets. For instance, crude oil processing in massive industrial complexes resulted in net losses for every ton processed.

Furthermore, industrial modernization largely stalled in the 1980s following Ceaușescu’s decision to cease external borrowing. This led to technological stagnation, with many factories remaining stuck at levels from the 1960s and 1970s. The regime also faced severe energy shortages, which compromised industrial processes such as foundry operations due to interrupted power supplies.