Bolojan’s message to romanian diplomats: Political instability could cost us dearly

The head of government thanked the diplomats for their work over the past year and noted that domestic issues—particularly the budget deficit and a lack of economic competitiveness—directly affect Romania’s ability to promote its interests abroad.

“First of all, I would like to thank you for this year of collaboration we’ve had with the team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Minister, with the secretaries of state, and with you, and to assure you of my respect, because you are a fundamental element of Romania’s representation,” stated Ilie Bolojan.

The Prime Minister described the past year as a difficult one, marked by both domestic problems and multiple international crises. Bolojan listed the wars in Romania’s neighborhood, drone incidents, the situation in the Black Sea, the conflict in the Middle East, energy crises, and drought among the main challenges that have tested the government.

In his speech, the prime minister emphasized the state of public finances and the need to continue measures to reduce the budget deficit. He argued that the accumulated imbalances cannot be corrected quickly and that the future government will have to continue fiscal consolidation measures.

“For better or worse, I believe this government has done what was necessary during this period, and through the measures we have adopted, we have avoided a credit rating downgrade for Romania,” Bolojan stated.

The prime minister warned, however, that political instability and a lack of predictability could undermine the country’s credibility and amplify public distrust in institutions.

“Political instability and the lack of predictability regarding what will happen in Romania are aggravating factors. And creating expectations that cannot be met is one of the most dangerous things,” said the head of government.

Ilie Bolojan also spoke about European funds, particularly the PNRR and the SAFE program, praising the contribution of Romanian diplomats—especially the team in Brussels—to negotiations with European institutions and within NATO.

The prime minister acknowledged that Romania has lost funds from the PNRR due to delays in implementing certain projects and reforms. He cited as an example the reduction in the number of hospitals originally planned in the program and criticized the delays in adopting certain legislative measures.

Regarding the SAFE program, Bolojan noted that Romania had succeeded in redirecting a portion of the funds toward road infrastructure.

“If we hadn’t redirected the 4.2 billion from SAFE to highways, we would have had yet another failed project involving the highways in northeastern Romania—Pașcani–Iași–Ungheni or Pașcani–Suceava–Siret,” the prime minister stated.

The prime minister emphasized that economic diplomacy must be an important component of foreign policy, but noted that the effectiveness of diplomats also depends on the state of the Romanian economy.

Bolojan argued that rising labor costs and higher energy prices have affected the competitiveness of companies in Romania, including some major international manufacturers with factories in multiple countries.

“To be effective, you need companies that are competitive. Otherwise, we’ve accomplished nothing,” said the prime minister.

In this context, Bolojan stated that domestic and foreign policies cannot be treated separately, as the economy’s competitiveness influences Romania’s ability to attract investment and promote its economic interests abroad.

The prime minister reaffirmed that Romania’s main strategic anchors remain NATO, the European Union, and the strategic partnership with the United States.

“You know the anchors we have: NATO, the European Union, and the partnership with the United States—I believe these are not up for debate,” Bolojan stated.

The head of government also noted the importance of the relationship with the Romanian diaspora, particularly with communities in European Union member states, as well as the need to strengthen Romania’s economic representation abroad.

At the end of his speech, the prime minister thanked the diplomats for their work and expressed his hope that Romania would soon have a stable government capable of continuing fiscal consolidation measures.

“I hope there will be predictable and bold policies that will give you the momentum to represent our country even better,” said Ilie Bolojan.

The prime minister concluded his message to the diplomats with a symbolic appeal: “Please keep the Romanian flag where it belongs.”