Marcel Ciolacu blames Bolojan government for recession and PNRR losses

Former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu launched a sharp attack on the interim government led by Ilie Bolojan, accusing it of steering Romania into a recession in 2026. He cited the National Institute of Statistics data showing a 1.2% drop in GDP in the first quarter, with consumption, industry, trade and IT all contracting, and warned that austerity measures are suffocating the economy.

Ciolacu also charged Bolojan and his finance minister Dragoș Pâslaru with a “premeditated crime” for mishandling the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). He said the government delayed the submission of seven essential PNRR projects to parliament, risking the loss of billions of euros in EU funding. The criticism was posted on Facebook, where Ciolacu called the delays a deliberate strategy to hide governmental incompetence.