Romania’s new finance minister is asking Europe to allow “flexibility” in its budget rules as the pro-EU government in Bucharest faces a critical test in its early days, writes Politico.

EU budget rules, while lightly enforced, set a deficit limit of 3 percent. But Romania deserves an exception due to the “difficult moment” the country is in, Minister of Finance Florin Cîțu said.

“Romania does need money for investment,” he said. His plan is to ask the Commission to approve all expenses above the 3 percent line to be directed toward infrastructure spending.

An area where Romania is looking for clemency is on EU plans to revamp energy taxes with the aim of reducing carbon emissions.

“The other partners have to acknowledge that in a country like Romania, where the energy sector is very labor-intensive, a tax does bear social costs, and we cannot go the same speed as everybody else,” Cîțu said. “If we want to achieve results fast, we need the help of the European Union.”

Cîțu also said he will investigate Russian government influence in the country’s energy markets in 2020.

Autor: Bogdan Tudorache

Active in the economic and business press for the past 26 years, Bogdan graduated Law and then attended intensive courses in Economics and Business English. He went up to the position of editor-in-chief since 2006 and has provided management and editorial policy for numerous economic publications dedicated especially to the community of foreign investors in Romania. From 2003 to 2013 he was active mainly in the financial-banking sector. He started freelancing for Energynomics in 2013, notable for his advanced knowledge of markets, business communities and a mature editorial style, both in Romanian and English.