The exchange rate climbed on Tuesday towards the 5.1 lei/euro threshold, and this depreciation will be seen in higher prices for various products and services, interest rates have risen and are likely to remain high, which makes investors and the business environment have some legitimate concerns, said the executive director of the Concordia Employers' Confederation, Radu Burnete. 'After a long period of stability for the exchange rate (1-2 years), today we have seen a rapid rise towards the 5.1 leu/euro threshold, amid growing pressures on the foreign exchange market. The central bank has made efforts and intervened recently to defend the exchange rate, but this could not be done indefinitely. The depreciation of the leu will be seen in higher prices for various products and services (telephone, gas, petrol, etc.), which means higher inflation. However, Romanian products will become more competitive for export, which could help to reduce the trade deficit and balance Romania's external situation', Burnete explained. According to him, interests could be kept at a high level, due to the need to finance the state.'Amid all this uncertainty, interest rates have risen and are likely to remain high, given the government's pressing need for financing in the context of a very high deficit. The moment is a sensitive one, and investors and the business environment have some legitimate concerns,' Radu Burnete pointed out. The Stock Exchange in Bucharest reacted negatively at the results of the first round of presidential elections and at the changes on the political scene, while interests which indicate the cost of loans increased, and the exchange rate of leu/euro surpassed the psychological threshold of 5 lei on Tuesday.According to the BNR data, the euro was quoted to 5.0378 lei on Tuesday, up by 6.03 bani (1.21%) against the previous quotation, of 4.9775 lei, registering a historic maximum.The three-month ROBOR index, which is used to calculate the cost of variable-rate consumer loans in lei, rose to 6.08% p.a. from 5.90% p.a. in the previous session.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, congratulated Pope Leo XIV for succeeding Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8. He expressed confidence that the new pope will continue to promote "the spirit of dialogue, peace, and cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church." "In a world facing multiple spiritual, economic, and […]
The organizers of the Untold festival announced they will offer a RON 150 (EUR 30) voucher toward the purchase of a festival pass to anyone who votes on May 18, during the second round of the presidential elections. In an online message, Untold representatives emphasized the connection between civic participation and the future of every […]
The Open Streets program, which sees the city's major arteries close for car traffic and become pedestrian areas, returns this weekend with a program of exhibitions, concerts, and a Festival of Lights. On Saturday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m., the public is invited to the Made in Romania exhibition, which presents a selection of civilian […]
Joseph Stiglitz, the famous economist and professor at Columbia University in New York, and winner of the Nobel Prize in economy in 2001, told an audience in Cluj, Romania, that governments must stimulate exports and key sectors when facing deficits. Stiglitz was in Romania on Thursday, May 8, to receive the title of Doctor Honoris […]
The Constitutional Court unanimously validated on Friday, May 9, the results of the first round of the presidential elections. It also rejected as unfounded a request to annul the elections filed by Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, the presidential candidate of the New Romania Party, it announced. The runoff, set for May 18, will see ultranationalist leader George […]
Bucharest's culinary scene welcomes back OLEA, the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel's celebrated Mediterranean destination, now reimagined with a fresh concept that blends authentic coastal flavours with contemporary sophistication. Following an extensive transformation, OLEA reopens its doors to offer guests a refined journey through the Mediterranean's sun-drenched culinary traditions, right in the heart of Romania's […]
