Employers' association: Business community needs confidence in Romania’s economy to be restored

The European Commission's Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) and its consumer confidence component have fallen to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and are approaching the lows recorded during the 2009–2010 global financial crisis, the Employers' Confederation Concordia said in an analysis quoted by Economica.net . The decline has not been sudden but gradual over the past twelve months, reaching critical levels by the end of June 2026. In June 2026, two of the five sectors monitored, services and retail, as well as the overall ESI, recorded their sharpest monthly declines of the past year. “These developments confirm that the uncertainty triggered by the collapse of the government, together with rising fuel prices amid the conflict involving Iran, has placed additional strain on an already fragile economy. The risk of a continued decline in private consumption remains very high, underlining once again the urgent need for a stable government and concrete measures to support the private sector and restore economic growth,” the organization said. Restrictive fiscal measures explain only part of this unprecedented decline, Concordia said, pointing to instability and uncertainty as the primary drivers that undermined confidence across the economy. “It is difficult for businesses to make credible investment plans or for consumers to commit to long-term purchases in an economic and political environment characterized by uncertainty and volatility. Consumers suffer, the economy suffers, and ultimately public finances suffer as well,” it said. “The business community urgently needs confidence in the country's economy to be restored, its sovereign credit rating to be preserved, and policymakers to demonstrate responsibility and predictability,” Concordia said. [email protected] (Photo source: Tero Vesalainen/Dreamstime.com )