The leu’s exchange rates fell to 4.6397 versus the euro and to 3.8343 to the US dollar. Monday, the rates were at 4.6009 per euro and 3.7999 to the dollar.
The national currency lost 4.2% versus the euro over the past three weeks, amid political tensions after the ruling socialists-liberals won a parliament vote to depose President Traian Basescu. The latter will face a referendum on July 29 on whether he will remain in office.
Since January, the leu weakened by 7.4% against the euro and by almost 15% versus the US dollar.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta said the leu should recover once the referendum results are published next week and the International Monetary Fund completes its scheduled review mission under a EUR3.6 billion loan agreement.
“I am absolutely convinced that next week things will come back to normal,” Ponta said on the national television Monday.
The leu opened flat at 4.637/4.64 to the euro Tuesday, but started to lose ground shortly after, hitting an all-time low of 4.65 per euro in interbank trading.
In the money market, overnight rates rose to 4.8%-5.3% a year, from 0.9%-1.4% a year Monday.