In an age of political turbulence and economic uncertainty, Sebastian Metz, CEO of AHK Romania, believes that stability is not a luxury — it is a precondition for reform and growth. Speaking in Watt’s Next, the Energynomics podcast hosted by Gabriel Avăcăriței, Metz outlined a pragmatic view of Romania’s economic priorities and the reforms still needed to sustain investor confidence.
“The reform agenda,” he said, “is the hottest topic for me at the moment.” He welcomed the fact that Romania avoided a political crisis in 2024, insisting that “if, for example, the government would not be any more in place, it would have been a disastrous effect … not only for our business community … but for the whole country. The economy would have suffered a lot.”
For Metz, continuity is the foundation of credibility. Yet stability alone is not enough. “You can only increase the taxes to a certain point,” he warned, adding that Romania competes with every other European market for capital and jobs. “There is no more room… to increase taxes for the companies. Now we have to look on the cost side.” The solution, he argues, is not to cut investment but to reduce public consumption and streamline administration.
This logic places growth at the heart of fiscal reform. Metz sees opportunity across several sectors — energy, technology, R&D, and manufacturing — provided the government maintains a predictable framework. “Growth you create by continuity, by framing the right framework for economic activities and looking on certain sectors. Energy could be one. Technology is another one, manufacturing has to be revived.”
From his vantage point, the country’s strengths are structural rather than speculative. Romania, he observed, remains an “industrialized country. You have universities … knowledge centers everywhere … You have this industrial heritage … meaning that somebody built up an economic infrastructure — transport, energy, universities, skills.”
Still, he did not shy away from structural concerns. “Energy costs are by far too high,” he said bluntly. For industries such as chemicals, construction materials, or steel, “you need really cheap energy.” High prices, he noted, make it difficult to attract energy-intensive manufacturing and undermine competitiveness.
To bridge this gap, Metz advocates stronger policies for energy efficiency — “nobody talks about energy efficiency in Romania. It is very sad, because you can save a lot of energy” — and for incentivizing R&D activities. He believes Romania must shift from labor-intensive models to higher-value technological work. “When one business case […] is not working anymore based on low labor costs, then you need to facilitate […] the shift […] to another one. And this is not happening enough actually here in Romania.”
Despite his warnings, Metz’s outlook is constructive. He underlines that Romania “has good preconditions”, “a good starting point,” with agile companies and a strong IT sector ready to contribute more to innovation. What matters now, he insists, is to use public resources wisely. “When you got European funds,” he explained, “you have to invest it in areas where you increase the competitiveness … This money is for investment, it’s not for consumption.”
His message, consistent throughout the conversation, is one of disciplined optimism: keep reforms on track, channel investment into productive sectors, and use cooperation as a lever for resilience. In a country still negotiating its balance between state and market, Metz’s voice stands for a principle both simple and demanding — smart growth requires steady hands.
About “WATTs Next”
“WATTs Next” is the new podcast by Energynomics dedicated to energy leaders, designed to provide a clear understanding of the people shaping the industry, their visions for the future and emerging challenges. Its main goal is to go beyond standardized answers and delve into the personal and professional perspectives of the interlocutor.
The interviews are structured in three essential directions:
- Shaping a personal and professional profile, providing an authentic picture of the career path and values of the interviewed leader.
- Analysis of the most current topics, to understand what’s next in the industry, what the implications are for companies and consumers, and what we should prepare for.
- Explanation of some essential concepts, by debunking myths and clarifying complex notions for a wider audience.
