Romania’s Presidency on May 25 announced that it has concluded with Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP a contract for strategic consultancy and assistance in relations with the US Government and Congress. The contract was concluded based on a political agreement explicitly assumed by the leaders of pro-Western parliamentary parties and formations and is in accordance with the constitutional attributions of the president of Romania, the Presidency stated.

Eversheds Sutherland (US) is a global company also present in Romania, with significant experience in the field of government relations and strategic consulting, the Presidency explained.

While the opportunity of deepening the strategic relationship with the United States of America – the contract’s declared target – was broadly agreed, the lack of specifications and the size of the contract (up to USD 565,000/month) raised questions.

The contract aims to achieve objectives of strategic importance for Romania: increasing defence and deterrence capacity, attracting investments with significant impact, integration into important international structures, free movement of citizens, combating human trafficking and transnational crime, and others, according to the Presidency.

Public concerns have focused primarily on the unusually high financial ceiling and on questions over the necessity of such an arrangement given Romania’s longstanding strategic partnership with the United States. Critics have asked why the country’s existing diplomatic and institutional channels would be insufficient to maintain relations with Washington without resorting to an external lobbying and advisory firm.

Additional concerns relate to transparency and accountability. Commentators and media outlets have questioned what specific “deliverables” would justify the monthly remuneration, how the consultancy’s effectiveness would be assessed, and whether influence-building in Washington can be meaningfully quantified.

Some observers have also interpreted the move as a sign of unease within the Romanian establishment regarding future US political dynamics, while others warned that the contract could expose the Presidency to criticism over public spending and the outsourcing of sensitive strategic communication.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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