Romania and Moldova face pension and fiscal challenges

In Romania, experts and economists are warning of significant pressures on the pension system. The Fiscal Council has proposed a gradual increase in the retirement age and the elimination of early retirement privileges for certain professional categories to prevent a system collapse. Economist Ionuț Dumitru noted that the ratio of contributors to beneficiaries is approaching 1:1, predicting a major financial shock around 2030 as the large post-1966 demographic cohort reaches retirement age. Additionally, legislative changes regarding Pillar II private pensions now mandate that assets are transferred to the heirs' own private pension accounts rather than being paid out as cash if the heir is also a participant in the system.

In Moldova, political and economic tensions persist. Deputy Alexandr Berlinschii has called for an investigation into the doubling of state debt from 69 billion to 132 billion lei during the PAS administration, requesting the European Public Prosecutor's Office to examine the use of EU funds. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Chiveri reported that the state allocated over 218 million lei in the first half of 2026 to support residents in the Transnistrian region through medical, social, and educational services. Former Prime Minister Ion Sturza also warned that Moldova requires radical economic changes to address rising budget deficits and debt servicing costs.