The famous 1990s phrase about shock therapy in post-communist Russia highlights a critical risk for Romania today: ensuring the success of budget deficit reduction must not come at the cost of sacrificing the national economy. Fiscal adjustments, such as lowering excise duties and VAT, remain the most effective levers to reduce fuel prices. Romania should return to the minimum EU excise duty levels practiced by regional peers like Bulgaria. Detaching from the regional group of comparable countries and entering the tier of EU nations with the highest fuel prices is unsustainable. The reality that Romanians pay double compared to drivers in the US or Japan represents an economic anomaly that the local market cannot bear long-term, a topic addressed during an appearance on Digi24 with Cristi Citre.

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