Last summer, a piece of fake news circulated claiming that water from the Vidraru Dam had been sold to the French. The fake news was revived in December, during President Nicușor Dan’s visit to France.
On social media, a photo circulated showing French President Emmanuel Macron and Romanian President Nicușor Dan talking at a table on which there was allegedly a bottle of water labelled “L’eau du barrage de Vidraru.”
The original photograph is available on the website of the Presidential Administration, where it can be seen there is no bottle of water on the table.
How the Conspiracy Emerged
On August 1, Hidroelectrica began the process of controlled draining of the Vidraru Dam as part of modernization works.
The company estimates that the works will be completed on February 28, 2026.
Hidroelectrica explained that this is the first complete draining of the Vidraru Dam since 1974, stressing that it is a major technical operation necessary for the evaluation and modernization of the dam and its equipment after nearly 50 years of continuous operation.
“Controlled draining is a first technical step toward the refurbishment of the Vidraru Hydropower Plant. What we are starting now at Vidraru will produce positive effects for the next 40 years. It is practically a new life for our production capacities. We are working with modern technology, eliminating current restrictions, and producing more energy, with a strategic role in balancing the entire system,” Hidroelectrica CEO Károly Borbély said.
The entire operation complies with legal requirements, and Hidroelectrica has informed the relevant authorities and obtained all the necessary permits from the competent institutions involved.
The explanations provided by the company did not convince conspiracy theorists, who linked the event to the annulment of the first round of the December 2024 presidential elections.
“The draining of the Vidraru Dam is being done to sell our water to France”, a supporter of the pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu wrote on Facebook, adding that on December6 last year a “coup d’état” took place in order to allow France “to turn Romania into a French colony” with the help of Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.
Nicușor Dan’s visit to France revived this fake news.In addition to the fake photograph, another image appeared, belonging to the satirical website Times New Roman. On TikTok, the image showing Macron pouring champagne for Dan from an oversized bottle labelled “eau de Vidraru” circulated widely, and the comments show that many people did not understand it was a joke and considered it a real photograph, which “confirmed” their fears that the water from the dam was being sold to the French.
