Romania: The quiet revolution

The new government has made a promising start, introducing reforms to free up and restructure the economy. Two important privatizations may provide proof of its commitment to change. By Gavin Gray.

So far, so good

The centre-right coalition government elected in November 1996 has introduced new laws which have encouraged foreign investors. Under the new prime minister, Victor Ciorbea, most price controls were lifted in the first six months of the year while the foreign exchange market has been liberalized. The National Bank of Romania also intends to make the Romanian leu convertible under article VIII of the IMF statute by the end of this year.

The changes are long overdue, as Romania has stagnated for most of the past eight years.

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