Romania economic outlook: Stolojan calls for foreign investment as Nazare targets stable ratings

Former Prime Minister Theodor Stolojan has criticized the public investment strategies of the Ciucă and Ciolacu governments, stating that investments initiated since 2022 have failed to generate the expected economic growth. Speaking at a National Bank debate, Stolojan argued that Romania must become more attractive to foreign direct investment to drive technological progress, noting that economic growth fell below 1% despite increased public spending.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare expressed confidence in maintaining Romania’s credit rating following a positive parliamentary review. Nazare noted that the government is working with the National Bank and the Fiscal Council to convince Standard & Poor’s to maintain the country's current rating. Regarding future fiscal policy, Nazare indicated there are no plans to increase VAT in 2027 and anticipates a prudent increase in pensions.