Economy 4 min read By Arthur Ellington
Romania Must Fund More Growth Itself, Presidential Adviser Burnete Says
Presidential adviser Radu Burnete warned at the Concordia Summit 2026 that Romania must mobilize its own capital and develop its capital market, because European transfers will no longer be at the same volume.
Presidential adviser for economic and social affairs, Radu Burnete, stated at the Concordia Summit 2026 that Romania can no longer rely on European funds to sustain its economic growth. In his view, the transfers of tens of billions of euros received over the past 20 years will not remain at the same level, and the country must contribute more from its own resources.
Burnete argued that Romania is today richer than it was two decades ago and therefore must finance a larger share of its development. He warned that the state will not have enough money for numerous programs and subsidies, and that politicians, he said, could mislead citizens when they talk about the availability of funds. His direct formulation was: "Politicians will tell you there is money. There is not much."
The solution proposed by the adviser is mobilizing domestic capital and developing the capital market, which Burnete describes as underdeveloped, lacking liquidity and with rudimentary instruments. In this context, he called for simpler legislation and more non-bank corporate financing options, so that companies can attract capital without depending exclusively on bank lending.
In the energy sector, Burnete said state-owned companies have not yet reached the status of regional champions, comparing them with the Polish group Orlen. As a solution, he suggested listing minority stakes in state energy companies on the stock exchange, as a means of bringing them capital and increasing their transparency.
Regarding energy prices, the adviser anticipated that the coming winter will be difficult, but that price pressure should ease starting in 2028-2029. Factors he cited include the development of renewable energy, storage capacities, and the entry into the domestic gas market of the Neptun Deep deposit. Burnete stressed, however, that electricity grids are lagging behind investments in production and that their expansion is necessary.
On the budget front, the deficit target for next year is approximately 5%. Burnete noted that faster economic growth would bring additional revenues without the need for new taxes, resources that could also be used for defense. He also remarked that Romania has a low level of artificial intelligence adoption in both the public and private sectors.
Growth prospects also depend, according to him, on the evolution of the war in Iran and the conflict in Ukraine. In addition, the adviser mentioned the situation of the NuScale modular reactor project at Doicești, with a capacity of 462 MW, currently suspended. The company has requested a meeting with the new government to discuss the direction of the project.
In other areas mentioned during the discussions, customs authorities at the border with the Republic of Moldova were targeted through proposals to add lanes at the Galați-Giurgiulești and Albița-Leușeni points, with empty trucks separated, and customs staffing would be sized according to traffic intensity. Meanwhile, the rail operator Regio Călători cancelled over 20 trains due to unpaid fees for access to infrastructure, and dozens of services were suppressed on several routes.
Source: economedia.ro
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