Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Saturday that the country's budget execution for the first five months of 2026 showed a reduction of more than 40% in the budget deficit compared with the same period last year, describing the figures as evidence that public spending is becoming more sustainable.

According to Bolojan, the budget deficit stood at 36 billion lei (RON) at the end of May, down from 64 billion lei in the corresponding period of 2025, a reduction of more than 28 billion lei.

'The budget execution for the first five months shows that Romania's budget deficit fell by more than 40% in 2026, to 36 billion lei, compared with 64 billion lei in the same period last year. The reduction of more than 28 billion lei is the first serious correction after years in which government spending increased well beyond what the economy produced. It could no longer be avoided. It is a clear sign that the state is beginning to spend more in line with what it can afford,' Bolojan wrote on Facebook.

The interim prime minister compared the fiscal adjustment to medical treatment, saying the initial stages may be difficult but are necessary to restore long-term financial health.

'To feel better and recover, the first stage of treatment may make you feel worse. It is the path to recovery. (...) We are on the right track. In the coming years, instead of paying tens of billions in interest, we will be able to direct resources towards development, prosperity and better public services. But only if we continue to take care of the state's financial health. The illness can return. Populism, clientelism and waste could bring us back to the brink. I thank all Romanians for getting through this period,' Bolojan said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)