Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos launched a harsh attack against the former Victor Ponta government on the absorption of EU funds. He said that the actual absorption of EU funds for the 2014-2020 programme began only in May 2016, two and a half years after the programming period had started.

The Prime Minister said that the current Government had to “grub the weeds left by those who now scream from the sidelines.” He referred to several critics made by representatives of the former Government. They have been criticizing the Ciolos cabinet for the low EU funds absorption.

Ciolos said Romania’s EU funds absorption rate for the current programme amounts to 1% and that the European average stands at around 1.5%.

The Prime Minister also talked about Romania’s economic growth of 6% in the second quarter of the year. He acknowledged that it was based more on consumption than investments. However, he rejected the idea that Romania is in a situation similar to the 2008-2009 pre-crisis period.

editor@romania-insider.com