The Week in Review 21-25.09.2026
The headline-grabbing events of the past week in Romania
Roxana Vasile, 26.09.2026, 14:00
Talks on forming a new government take place in Bucharest
The Romanian Prime Minister designate, the Liberal Siegfried Mureșan, has this week outlined the main points of his governing program, which he intends to present before Parliament when seeking a vote of investiture. He announced plans to continue managing public funds prudently, noting that the country is set to enter a “growth phase” following the current difficult period. Among other things, he does not plan to raise fees or taxes, which have nearly tripled this year, and intends to consider public sector wage increases and pension indexation in the 2027 budget, given that Romanians’ incomes have been frozen for quite some time due to austerity measures aimed at reducing the country’s deficit. Following meetings with the PNL, USR, and UDMR, Siegfried Mureșan announced that he has the political backing of the three parties currently forming the interim government in Bucharest. However, together they hold only 170 parliamentary seats, whereas a minimum of 233 is required to confirm his government. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister designate remains confident that he can also hold talks with the PSD in an effort to persuade them to vote for him. In response, the Social Democrats have called on Mureșan to step down, asserting that he has no chance of securing a parliamentary majority vote. Previously, the PSD had also called on him to resign his position of MEP to demonstrate that he genuinely intends to become Prime Minister. AUR (the nationalist opposition), excluded from the negotiations, reiterated that it would not vote for a government of which it is not a part. If Siegfried Mureșan fails to secure parliamentary approval, Romania could face the prospect of early elections, a scenario that the country’s president, Nicușor Dan, wishes to avoid. In his view, such elections would prolong the uncertainty that has prevailed since May, when the current government was dismissed via a no-confidence motion.
In New York President Dan attended the UN General Assembly
Support for Ukraine and Russia’s hybrid threats were among the topics addressed by President Nicușor Dan during his national address at the United Nations. On Wednesday in New York, speaking from the UN General Assembly podium, the Romanian President drew attention to manipulation via social media, a threat to democracies. The head of state explained that the fundamental principle of democracy is “one person, one voice, one vote”, and if thousands of fake accounts express themselves in a coordinated manner, the individual’s voice is no longer heard, and freedom of expression is denied. Addressing the war in Ukraine, Nicușor Dan once again reiterated his support for the Ukrainian people for as long as necessary. He warned that the Russian Federation’s hybrid threats are not directed solely at Ukraine but target all of Europe. In the Romanian President’s view, these threats can only be deterred by increasing military spending. Black Sea security, support for the Republic of Moldova, the peace plan for Gaza, and Romania’s openness to business and innovation were among the other topics Nicușor Dan covered in his national address at the UN. While in the United States, the President also met with members of the Romanian community in New York and inaugurated the “Queen Marie of Romania Intersection” to mark the centenary of the Romanian sovereign’s historic tour of the U.S. On the occasion, an anniversary plaque was unveiled at the intersection of 38th Street and 3rd Avenue, near the headquarters of Romania’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
S&P experts assess Romania’s sovereign rating
Experts from the international agency Standard & Poor’s have arrived in Bucharest this week to assess Romania’s economic and fiscal developments with a view to determining its sovereign rating. In a social media post, the interim Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare stated that his ministry’s primary objective during this period is to maintain the rating; this rating determines the terms under which Romania borrows from foreign markets and influences investor confidence, as well as the availability of funds for development rather than interest payments. Standard & Poor’s, one of the world’s leading rating agencies, is to publish its periodic report on Romania on October 2. The current rating is at the lower end of the “investment-grade” category. A downgrade would push the country into “junk” status, that is not recommended for investment.
Romanians’ Economic Sentiment
Meanwhile, the benchmarks used to calculate the cost of variable-rate consumer and mortgage loans in the national currency have risen. Pump prices for petrol and diesel have surpassed new psychological thresholds. The leu has depreciated significantly against major currencies, hitting an all-time high against the euro. And although the pace of inflation slowed, dropping to 6.17% in August from 8.16% in July, the cost of services continued to rise at a double-digit rate, driven by hikes in energy and fuel prices. Prices for foods and non-foods have also risen, with dramatic consequences for low-income households. Consequently, nearly a third of Romanians (32%) say they are worse off than a year ago, with the disparity clearly visible between their earnings and their purchasing power. People remain pessimistic about the economy, and 86% expect further price increases; as a result, they are more cautious and are attempting to adjust their behavior to an economic environment perceived as difficult and enduring, according to a study by INSCOP released this week. (LS)
