The 2026 budget reaches the Parliament in mid-February at the earliest, says Tanczos Barna: “Anyway we are behind schedule”

Deputy Prime Minister Tanczos Barna declared on Monday evening, on Digi24, that “realistically, earlier than mid-February” Romania will not have a proposed budget in Parliament. Tanczos Barna also said that the current coalition must focus on finalizing the state budget, adding that “we are late anyway”, according to News.ro.

“We are in the middle of January and, according to the calendar that we created today, we will not have a proposed budget in Parliament before the middle of February. Half of February is the realistic option. It cannot be delayed any longer. In a certain form, of course, we must propose the budget to the Parliament and it must be approved on the basis of the legislation that will exist, with or without the reform in the administration, with or without certain laws approved by then, but we must move forward,” said Deputy Prime Minister Tanczos Barna.

He believes that the ministries must have a budget, in order to have predictability.

“We have the PNRR which is very, very important and any day of delay can affect the absorption and success of this program. And the European funds are essential this year. The priority must be on the PNRR, so that we finish this program at the end of August, make absorption as close as possible to one hundred percent, reach the indicators, make the reforms attached to these amounts received from the European Commission”, said Tanczos Barna.

At the same time, Tanczos Barna stated that he understands the dissatisfaction, saying that it is understandable that many people are angry. At the same time, the deputy prime minister hopes that these will be the last painful decisions taken by the current government.

The Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, announced on Monday that he agreed, together with his colleagues from the governing coalition, a calendar for approving the state budget for 2026, and in a few days they will approve the budget ceilings, following consultations with all the ministries.

The competent minister specified that, in mid-February, the budget draft will be published and approved by the Government, and in the second part of February the budget will be debated and voted on in Parliament.