The recent and near-term decrease in the annual inflation rate on a significantly lower trajectory than previously anticipated and the still high uncertainties associated with developments in the more distant time horizon justify a prudent reduction in the monetary policy interest rate, appreciated the members of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania, according to the Minutes of the monetary policy meeting of July 5.The members of the Board highlighted the increased uncertainties and risks arising from the conduct of fiscal and revenue policy in 2024, against the background of the budget execution from the first five months of the year, as well as the dynamics of salaries in the public sector and the full impact of the new pension law . The great risks associated with the conduct of these policies on a more distant time horizon were also evoked, in the context of the fiscal and budgetary measures that could be implemented in order to achieve the fiscal correction and position the budget deficit on a sustainable decreasing trajectory compatible with the requirements of the procedure of excessive deficit and with the conditions attached to other agreements concluded with the EC, underlines the Minutes published by the central bank on Wednesday.Regarding the near-term perspective, the members of the BNR Board of Directors showed that, according to recent data and analyses, the annual inflation rate will continue to decrease in the coming months on a significantly lower trajectory than the one highlighted in the medium-term forecast of May 2024 , which dropped to 4.9% in December 2024, to 3.5% in the last month of 2025 and to 3.4% at the end of the projection horizon.The document draws attention to the fact that there are significant uncertainties regarding the prospective impact on natural gas and electricity prices of the legislative changes applied in April, as well as regarding the future evolution of the quotation of coal and other raw materials, especially in the context geopolitical tensions.The Board of Directors of the BNR unanimously decided, at the beginning of July, to reduce the monetary policy interest rate to 6.75%, from 7%. At the same time, it decided to reduce the interest rate for the credit facility (Lombard) to 7.75%, from 8%, and the interest rate related to the deposit facility to 5.75%, from 6%. Also, the Board of Directors of the BNR unanimously decided to maintain the current levels of the mandatory minimum reserve ratios for the liabilities in RON and in foreign currency of the credit institutions.
Participation in cultural education activities continues to be limited, with the main barriers being difficult access, insufficient knowledge, and cost, the recently released Cultural Consumption Barometer 2024 shows. The report showed that many Romanians still associate culture with entertainment rather than with personal development or furthering their knowledge. The need for relaxation dominates in cultural […]
Roughly 84% of Romanians say that the pace of the state’s digitalization is slow or very slow, according to an Edge Institute & AtlasIntel study presented at the Digital Governance Summit 2025, which took place on Tuesday, November 25, at the presidential palace in Bucharest. The survey aims to capture the way citizens relate to […]
Romania’s Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) issued a negative opinion on the new bill regarding magistrates’ pensions. The move is only the latest development concerning a heated issue that led to tensions between the executive and the judiciary branch. CSM’s opinion is consultative, and the government led by Ilie Bolojan can still take responsibility for […]
Romania took the presidency of the Central European Initiative (or CEI) on Wednesday, November 26, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). The organization is a regional intergovernmental forum established in 1989, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. It gathers 17 Member States in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe […]
Trade between Romania and Poland continues to grow, with annual bilateral exchanges in goods now valued at more than EUR 12 billion, according to figures presented by the Polish-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PRBCC). The data was released during a reception in Bucharest marking Poland’s Independence Day and Romania’s National Day. Polish investments […]
As Romania moves closer to implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, local employers are preparing for one of the most consequential shifts in workplace regulation in over a decade. The directive, set for transposition by June 2026, introduces strict new rules on salary disclosure, pay reporting, and equal-pay verification, aiming to close persistent gender gaps […]
