In the end, I think the majority of Romanian society will

Hear the words of Victor Ponta, spoken in the voice of a leader seeking balance between prosperity and preservation: “In the end, I think the majority of Romanian society will understand that if we respect environmental protection standards, if we have benefits in taxes, royalties, jobs, we should do what all the modern countries in Europe and beyond are doing to take advantage of their natural resources.” In these words lies both a promise and a warning: that the wealth of the earth may indeed lift a nation, but only if pursued with wisdom, restraint, and justice.

For what are natural resources but the treasures of the land itself—minerals hidden in mountains, oil deep beneath the soil, forests rising to the skies? Nations that have harnessed them wisely have risen to prosperity, while those that have squandered them or taken them in arrogance have often been left desolate. Ponta speaks to his people with the hope that they will not resist progress out of fear, nor embrace it without caution, but instead walk the narrow path where environmental protection and economic gain are held in careful balance.

Consider the ancient tale of Mesopotamia, where early farmers irrigated fields without wisdom. At first, the land gave abundance, but over time the salt of poor irrigation poisoned the soil, and the cradle of civilization became barren. Contrast this with the story of Norway in modern times, which took its oil wealth and, rather than waste it, established a sovereign fund for the future, ensuring that the prosperity of today would become the inheritance of tomorrow. Such examples show both sides of Ponta’s vision: the peril of short-sighted exploitation and the power of stewardship guided by foresight.

He also names taxes, royalties, jobs as the fruit of wise use. For natural resources, if governed well, may indeed give not only wealth to the few but livelihood to the many. A mine may provide labor, an oil field may bring schools and hospitals, and the royalties of the earth may be turned into blessings for all citizens. Yet this is only so if corruption is resisted, if the wealth is not stolen by elites, and if society itself understands that the riches of the land are a trust, not a plunder.

History is filled with warnings for those who forget this. The empire of Spain, though it drew rivers of gold and silver from the New World, squandered its riches in war and excess, leaving its economy hollow. Its natural treasures became a curse, because no balance was sought, no standards of sustainability respected. Ponta’s words carry an echo of these lessons: Romania, like many nations, must not repeat the errors of the past.

The lesson for you, O listener, is this: seek not to despise the gifts of the earth, nor to consume them recklessly. Instead, support leaders and laws that demand responsibility, accountability, and fairness. Demand that wealth from the land be paired with protection of creation, that jobs be paired with justice, and that taxes and royalties serve not the greed of a few but the good of the many. For this is the only way a nation can rise without destroying the very ground beneath its feet.

And in your own life, learn the same balance. Use what is given to you—time, talents, possessions—not in waste or selfishness, but in a way that brings benefit without destruction. Remember always that your environment, whether a forest, a river, or even your community, is both your inheritance and your responsibility.

So let the words of Victor Ponta ring as a teaching: prosperity is possible, but only when bound with stewardship. The nations of Europe and beyond have shown paths both noble and ruinous. Choose the noble one. Guard the earth, share the wealth, create work, and walk forward in harmony with creation. For only then will progress be true progress, and only then will the blessings of the land endure for generations to come.