Adrian Gârmacea calls for end to public investment in declining Romanian cities

Adrian Gârmacea, founder of the joinery manufacturer Barrier, has argued that the Romanian state should stop investing in cities experiencing significant population decline. Speaking at the Concordia Hub Est – Forum for Development in Iași, Gârmacea suggested that public funds should instead be concentrated in major urban centers capable of generating economic value.

Gârmacea identified Botoșani, Bacău, and Buzău as cities that “have no chance in the long term.” He predicted that over the next 50 to 100 years, smaller cities with populations around 100,000 are “destined for failure” as economic activity and residents gravitate toward larger hubs offering better wages, jobs, and services.

The entrepreneur criticized the current allocation of public money for infrastructure, such as schools, sports halls, water, and roads, in communities that are constantly losing inhabitants. He stated that these smaller cities “must be left to die” so that resources can be directed toward productive regions. In contrast, he highlighted Iași as a regional pole with better prospects due to its universities, medical systems, and IT and automotive industries.