Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan says he inherited a country with its back against the wall when he took office at Victoria Palace, but will hand over to the next government a Romania on the path to sound recovery, 'with the experience of a government that did not lie, did not resort to populism and treated people with respect'.

'After almost 16 months in which I have had the honour of serving Romania as prime minister, (...) my term in office will come to an end. It has been an intense term, marked by domestic and international crises and challenges. I inherited a country with its back against the wall, facing a record deficit, not only in its budget but also in public trust. I am handing over to the next government a Romania on the path to sound recovery, with the experience of a government that did not lie, did not resort to populism and treated people with respect. In June last year, the situation was so serious that no one was rushing to become prime minister. There was a 9.3% deficit, unhealthy economic growth based entirely on consumption and debt, a blocked National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), with an imminent risk of losing European funds, a society divided following the annulment of the elections, and a real risk of default. There was no real choice, only one option - to begin the recovery process, with inevitable costs. The European Commission and financial markets had lost confidence in us. They would no longer accept promises, only measures with an immediate impact. Had we not embarked on an orderly reform process, a crisis would have followed that would have affected the entire country, with every family feeling its consequences severely,' Ilie Bolojan said on Monday at Victoria Palace, during a press conference reviewing his term in office.

He acknowledged that he had been compelled to begin his term by raising VAT to increase budget revenue and reduce the deficit.

'I have hidden nothing from Romanians, I have not manipulated the figures, and I have refused to make promises I could not keep. Some decisions were difficult. I know that behind every figure there is a family, an employee, an entrepreneur or a pensioner who has had to recalculate their expenses and has experienced a decline in their standard of living. I know that people do not live on macroeconomic indicators. They judge a government by the prices they pay, by wages and pensions, and by job security. That is why their efforts must be respected through a more prudent state and an economy that can once again offer them prospects for the future,' Bolojan said.

He thanked Romanians for having 'borne the brunt' of the difficulties during this period, stressing that their efforts had not been in vain. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Florea; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)