Romania Far From the Euro: Budget Deficit Stands in the Way of Single Currency Adoption

Romania remains outside the eurozone, despite nearly 6 in 10 citizens supporting the adoption of the single European currency. The country faces the largest budget deficit in the European Union, which places it significantly far from meeting the convergence criteria required for eurozone accession.

Economic analysts warn that several years of financial stability will be needed before Romania can take this important step. In the current climate, inflationary pressures and the necessary austerity measures have pushed the debate over euro adoption to the back burner of the national public agenda.

The impact for Romanian pensioners and seniors

For older people and pensioners, adopting the euro could bring both advantages and challenges. On one hand, the single currency could offer greater purchasing power stability for pensions, protecting seniors' fixed incomes against currency fluctuations.

On the other hand, the transition to the euro requires stringent economic reforms that could include austerity measures affecting the pension system and social services for older people. The experience of other countries shows that such a transition must be managed carefully in order to protect the most vulnerable citizens.

The situation in a regional context

Romania is not the only country encountering difficulties in adopting the euro. Of the six EU member states that have yet to adopt the single currency, each faces its own specific challenges — from political barriers in Hungary and Poland, to economic scepticism in the Czech Republic and Sweden.

Bulgaria managed to adopt the euro in January 2026, becoming the 21st member of the eurozone, though even that transition took place against a fraught domestic backdrop, with nearly half the population opposed to the change.