According to the National Bank of Romania (BNR) data, in January – February 2024p, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 2,707 million, compared with EUR 2,171 million in January – February 2023. The breakdown shows that the deficit on trade in goods declined by EUR 39 million, the surplus on services fell by EUR 456 million, the primary income deficit increased by EUR 516 million, while the secondary income registered a surplus of EUR 345 million, compared to a deficit of EUR 52 million in the same year-ago period. Non-residents’ direct investmente in Romania totalled EUR 1,229 million (compared with EUR 1,345 million in January – February 2023), of which equity (including the estimated net reinvestment of earnings) and intercompany lending recorded net values of EUR 1,105 million and EUR 124 million, respectively. In January – February 2024, total external debt increased by EUR 6,766 million to EUR 176,849 million, of which: long-term external debt at end-February 2024 ran at EUR 128,439 million (72.6 percent of total external debt), up 5.5 percent against end-2023; short-term external debt at end-February 2024 amounted to EUR 48,410 million (27.4 percent of total external debt), up 0.2 percent from end-2023. Long-term external debt service ratio stood at 10.9 percent in February 2024 against 16.7 percent in 2023. At end-February 2024, goods and services import cover ran at 6.1 months, as compared to 5.6 months at end-2023. At end-February 2024, the ratio of the National Bank of Romania’s foreign exchange reserves to short-term external debt by remaining maturity came in at 101.2 percent, as against 96.3 percent at end-2023.
A new CURS poll published on Sunday, June 29, shows that if local elections were held in Bucharest next Sunday, reformist party USR would obtain 27%, followed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 22%, and far-right party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) with 18%. The National Liberal Party (PNL) comes in fourth, […]
Last week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest indicted three individuals for an EUR 100 million fraud in a case involving both EU and national funds. Among those indicted is an Italian citizen, alleged to be the leader of the group, which operated between 2019 and 2024. The suspect was detained on February […]
The number of building permits for residential buildings increased by 0.6% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with 14,134 such permits issued, according to data published Monday by the National Institute of Statistics. Increases were recorded in the Western region (+166 permits), Center (+70), North-West (+68), South-East […]
Cluj-Napoca, a major city in Romania’s Transylvania region, is taking a step toward becoming a more animal-friendly city, as a new proposal allowing pets in public institutions has been opened for public debate. Mayor Emil Boc announced the initiative, stating, “A city that is friendly to animals is a better city for people.” The draft […]
The president of S.O.S. Romania, Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă, announced on Monday, June 30, that three senators were expelled from the party, effectively disbanding the party’s group in the Senate. According to the Romanian Parliament’s regulations, a party must have more than seven members to establish a group in the Senate. With the expulsion of the […]
Chinese social media platform TikTok has reportedly opened a branch in Romania, following public criticism, along with governmental and EU-level scrutiny, after Romania’s last presidential elections. The local company is called Tik Tok Romania, has a share capital of RON 5,000, and provides other IT-related service activities. It will be managed by Laura Andreea Savu, […]
