Deputy Prime Minister Dragoș Anastasiu warns that Romania could have faced a severe economic crisis if it had not adopted the fiscal package requested by the European Commission by July 8.
In an interview with Digi24, Anastasiu stated that our country was at risk of a currency exchange rate of 6 lei per euro and an unemployment rate of 30-40%, as Brussels was ready to trigger the procedure to suspend European funds, and rating agencies were prepared to downgrade Romania.
"We were like a car with the front wheels on the edge of a cliff," said the Deputy Prime Minister, justifying the urgency and severity of the measures adopted without extensive consultations with trade unions and employers' organizations.
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"If we had not come up with this painful but credible package for those who fund us by July 8, the European Commission would have started the process to halt European funds for Romania, and the rating agencies would have quickly told us that we were unacceptable for investments. And that was the scenario of Greece in 2010; the exchange rate would probably have gone to 6, and unemployment to 30-40%," added the Deputy Prime Minister.
According to him, there was not enough time to start "with the most painful measures and do everything properly, in consultation with trade unions and employers' organizations: there was no time."
"Package 2 addresses inequalities, package 3 even more so, and so on (...) The next packages will focus on streamlining, eliminating inequalities," Deputy Prime Minister Anastasiu further stated.