Romania stalls on government formation while tourism spending rises and investment bank receives €1 bn boost

Romania entered a new week without a fully‑mandated government as parties failed to agree on a prime‑minister candidate. President Nicușor Dan received two proposals – PSD’s Sorin Grindeanu and a joint PNL‑USR‑UDMR candidate Siegfried Mureșan – but negotiations remain deadlocked, prompting former president Traian Băsescu to warn the country could stay without a legitimate cabinet until the autumn.

In the first quarter of 2026, foreign visitors to Romania spent a total of 1.488 billion lei (about €283.6 million), according to the National Institute of Statistics. Of the 390,900 non‑resident tourists, 51.8 % were on business trips and accounted for 53.8 % of the total expenditure. Accommodation was the largest expense category (over 50 % of business‑related spending), followed by restaurants, bars and shopping.

The European Commission approved a €1 billion capital increase for Romania’s Investment and Development Bank (BID) and extended its state guarantee to the end of 2032. The expanded mandate will allow the bank to support strategic sectors such as defence, high‑tech manufacturing, knowledge‑intensive industries and cybersecurity, complementing the country’s recent rise to ninth place in the EU for foreign direct investment, with €8.1 billion attracted in 2025.