The lion continues to depreciate amid the political crisis. Euro, at a new record value on the interbank market

The national currency continued to depreciate on Friday, in relation to the euro, and rose to 5.2 lei in the morning on the interbank market, writes Ziarul Financiar. The Euro thus reached a new historical high, in the context of the political crisis.

• Euro jumped by 5 lei on Wednesday, April 29, when it exceeded the threshold of 5.10 lei for the first time, from May 2025 until now, both on the interbank market and at the BNR exchange rate. On Thursday, the leu depreciated against the euro to the value of 5.14 lei for one euro.
• It was the lowest value since 2005, when the Central Bank calculates the average at which currency transactions take place. A close value was on May 8, 2025, after George Simion had won the first round of the presidential election.

Friday, May 1, is not a bank day, so the National Bank does not calculate the exchange rate for this date.

According to ZF, on the interbank market the exchange rate rose to 5.2 lei/euro on Friday morning, being the highest level in history.

Later, the exchange rate returned below this threshold, the national currency being traded around the value of 5.19 lei/euro.

The national currency depreciated on Thursday in relation to the euro, which was calculated by the National Bank of Romania at 5.1417 lei, up by 4.13 bani (0.8%) compared to the previous quotation of 5.1004 lei, registering a new historical high. Also, the leu lost ground against the US dollar, which was quoted at 4.3965 lei, up by 3.70 bani (+0.84%), compared to Wednesday, when it stood at 4.3595 lei. The national currency also depreciated in relation to the Swiss franc, calculated by the BNR at 5.5821 lei, up by 6.40 bani (1.16%), compared to 5.5181 lei, the previous quotation, registering a historical maximum.

The depreciation of the national currency comes against the background of the political crisis generated by the exit from the government of the PSD, which together with the AUR submitted a motion of censure against the Bolojan Government.

The spokesperson of the National Bank of Romania, Dan Suciu, believes that the situation on the foreign exchange market will “calm down” in the coming days, but this does not mean the disappearance of uncertainties related to the political crisis.

The decrease in investor confidence, amid the political crisis, as well as significant capital outflows are the main factors that caused the historic depreciation of the national currency against the euro on Thursday, according to economic consultant Adrian Negrescu, according to whom the exchange rate risks reaching 5.5 lei or even 6 lei for one euro.