Nicușor Dan: Romania Is in Recession, But Private Sector Is Solid

Nicușor Dan said on Thursday that our country has been in a recession since last year, but “we have a private economy that is solid and we have had a GDP that has doubled in the last 10 years.”

The president-elect added that he will keep his promise not to increase VAT and said that he wants spending adjustments to be made, when asked if it is possible to increase other taxes.

The president-elect was asked, after participating in the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum 2025 event on Thursday, whether there is any danger of recession at the moment.

“It depends on what you mean by recession. We have a deficit of 8-9% and in the conditions of this deficit of 8% – 9% we have an economic growth of 1 – 2%. Normally, when you have a deficit it means that you throw money into the market and that stimulates economic growth. So, somehow, we are in recession right now and in 2024 as well. But, on the other hand, we have a private economy that is solid and we have had a GDP that has doubled in the last 10 years. So, to the extent that we manage to stabilize and I am very optimistic that we will stabilize, the medium and long-term economic prospects for Romania are very good”, explained Dan.

Regarding the promise made in the campaign, according to which VAT will not increase, the president-elect showed that this is “the premise from which he starts in all discussions on finances”.

“Gov’t program will be more important than the names of the ministers”

The President-elect, Nicuşor Dan, also stated that there is no question of forming a new government “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow” and that everything that is being circulated in the public space about the formation of the new Executive has no support. He added that he wants a government supported by all four pro-Western parties and mentioned that the government program is more important than the names of the ministers.

Nicuşor Dan was asked on Thursday about the scenarios regarding the new Government.

“As for the Government, nothing that is being circulated has any support. There is no question of forming a government tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. I am very happy that the PSD has expressed its semi-availability to enter the Government. I really want us to have a government supported by the four pro-Western parties in Parliament and by the national minorities. This will also have an important effect on the economy because the interest rates at which we borrow will be lower if we have a stable government. For the moment, both I and the parties are looking at the deficit issue and in the discussions that I will have with the parties for the formation of the Government, the program should be much more important than the names of the ministers and within the discussion on the program, the issue of the deficit, which is very, very important,” explained Nicuşor Dan.

He recalled that he wants the current interim president, Ilie Bolojan, as prime minister, but specified that everything depends on the discussion he will have with the parties. Nicuşor Dan also announced that he will have meetings with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Investments and European Projects on Thursday.

“The main threat at this moment is to cybersecurity”

On the other hand, Nicuşor Dan believes that the main threat to our country, currently, is cybersecurity, when asked about the fact that the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Gheorghiță Vlad, said, on Digi24, that there are “a lot of dangers generated mainly by the Russian Federation” for Romania, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

“We need to collaborate very well with the big technology companies that, fortunately, we have and of course with the European partners who have the same concerns as us regarding cybersecurity and hybrid warfare,” said Nicușor Dan, when asked about the statement of the Chief of the Defense Staff regarding Russia, after participating on Thursday at the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum 2025 event. The president-elect added that Romania must also collaborate with the big technology companies and with the European partners who also have the same concerns regarding cybersecurity and hybrid warfare.

“I need to have a discussion with those responsible, to have a full assessment of where we are. The main threat, at this moment, is cybersecurity. Here again an assessment is needed and further, in my opinion, without knowing the details, we need to collaborate very well with the large technology companies that, fortunately, we have and of course with the European partners who have the same concerns as us regarding cybersecurity and hybrid warfare”, Nicuşor Dan also said.

The first country to visit

Nicușor Dan said on Thursday that the first country he would like to visit as president is the Republic of Moldova, “because it is symbolic.”

“The Republic of Moldova, Brussels or Washington, depending on the needs. I would very much like the Republic of Moldova, because it is symbolic, but if emergencies arise, one or the other of the alternatives,” said Nicușor Dan.

“Aid for Ukraine will continue”

The president-elect said that Romania’s aid to Ukraine will continue, that he wants peace to be achieved as quickly as possible, and that our country is very open to participating in the reconstruction effort. Nicușor Dan participated in the “Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum” event, the 9th edition.

He was asked how he sees the development of the partnership with Ukraine, possible peace negotiations and the effort to reconstruct Ukraine. “Although I have been somewhat of an opponent of the governments of the last three years since the war began, I welcomed the way Romania has positioned itself towards the war in Ukraine in each of these years. It was the correct approach also towards the international political context, in which we had an aggressor state that broke the stability begun 80 years ago by international treaties. And, of course, (Romania – ed.) did this with its own security and the security of the Republic of Moldova in mind, because Ukraine is a friendly state and we prefer to have a friendly state in the neighborhood of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Aid for Ukraine will continue, of course we all want to reach peace as quickly as possible, or at least an armistice as quickly as possible. Until then, Europe and Romania, as part of Europe, must give Ukraine all the arguments so that the peace it will negotiate is as reasonable as possible for itself. And after we have this, “Of course we are very open to participating in the reconstruction of things”, said Nicuşor Dan.