Analysts surveyed by Economica.net reveal expectations for an interest rate hike at the monetary board of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), possibly of 50 bp to 2.25%, perhaps accompanied by further widening of the interest rate corridor that would push up further the Lombard interest rate. "We expect the National Bank of Romania to increase the key interest rate from 1.75% to 2.25%. We also anticipate the widening of the corridor formed by the interest rates of permanent facilities around the monetary policy interest rate to +/- 1.00 pp, from +/- 0.75 pp now," said Valentin Tataru, chief economist of ING Bank. Adrian Codarlasu, vice president of CFA Romania Association, believes that Poland hiking the rate by 50 bp this week to 2.25% sets grounds for an increase in Romania's monetary policy interest rate by 0.5% as well, compared to the initial expectations for 0.25 bp hike expressed by the Association. He also warned that the headline inflation might hit 10% YoY in May-June, judging from the factory-gate inflation of 32% (in November) recently announced. Ionut Dumitru, Raiffeisen Bank's chief economist, points out that Raiffeisen Bank's forecast envisages a policy interest rate of up to 2.5% by mid-2022 and 3% by the end of 2022. "We expect the BNR to catch up with colleagues in Central and Eastern Europe and offer a key rate hike of 50 bp to 2.25% at the next January 10 interest rate meeting. The excess liquidity after high public spending at the end of the year should support such a decision. The BNR should remain a net debtor to the banking system for the next two months," he explained.
Craiova International Airport will open its new passenger terminal on Thursday, December 18, completing a major infrastructure investment aimed at significantly expanding capacity and improving air connectivity in southwestern Romania. It is part of a broader expansion and modernization project financed through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (POIM) 2014–2020, with a total value exceeding EUR […]
Franck Bagouet has been appointed managing director of TotalEnergies Marketing Romania SA and managing director of Automotive Southeast Europe Hub TotalEnergies Marketing. He succeeds Didier Grimault, who has accepted a new position within the TotalEnergies company. “I am glad to join this dynamic affiliate and confident that, together with our talented team, we will reinforce […]
Databricks, the data analytics and artificial intelligence company co-founded by Romanian professors Ion Stoica and Matei Zaharia, announced on Tuesday, December 16, that it is raising USD 4 billion in funding at a valuation of USD 134 billion, according to CNBC. The new valuation represents a 34% increase compared to the August round, when Databricks […]
NEPI Rockcastle NV, Europe’s third largest listed retail real estate company by portfolio value, has appointed Romanian Marius Barbu as Chief Operating Officer (COO) with effect from April 1, 2026. He will succeed Marek Noetzel, current COO and CEO-designate. Barbu has also been nominated as a Board Director and will stand for election at the […]
Alexandru Bologa, Paralympic champion and world leader in the J1 –70 kg category, won the gold medal at the 2025 IBSA Judo Grand Prix for the visually impaired, held in Brazil’s São Paulo. This year, Bologa became world champion, European champion, and winner of several IBSA Grand Prix events. Arriving in Brazil as the world […]
The latest feature film by Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu, 3 Days in September (3 zile în septembrie), has been selected for the Limelight section of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), one of the world’s leading film festivals. IFFR, with an average audience of around 275,000 viewers, alongside more than 2,000 film industry professionals from […]
