“This is different from what it was when we were working with the Ponta Government, when we had those meetings once a month and Ponta was there every time and we could feel he was actively involved,” Anastasiu said.
“With the current government, Prime Minister Ciolos said there was no point in him being there at the meetings because the economy was a matter for us (the entrepreneurs). He sat us down with Costin Borc (deputy PM i.e.) and said, “You take care of it.” It’s more like “take care of it” than “I’ll get involved and take care of it.”
He said the previous approach led to effective decisions and one of the things the business sector did together with the former government was the Fiscal Code.
The current government has some good ideas but their application leaves to be desired. The representatives of the business sector are disappointed by the red tape curbing committee, which is not progressing as expected, Anastasiu said.
Local elections are to be held on Sunday, but the Eurolines official does not know whom he will vote for.
“I am a right-wing supporter and for the first time I have not decided yet. I must admit that as part of the Coalition for Romania’s Development, I worked extraordinarily well with a left-wing party. I worked very well with Ponta, Teodorovici and all. (…) When Ponta left I even told him I didn’t vote for him but had to admit that we worked well together.”
Romanian Business Leaders and National Council of Romanian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CNIPMMR) launched a guidebook of economic steps for local election candidates, which includes innovative steps the local public authorities can implement in their communities.
The message is that honest and reliable businesspeople are their partners, not enemies, Anastasiu said. One of the problems he has found is that city halls usually work with only a handful of businesspeople and the rest are treated like the enemy.
“They’ve still got this ‘we don’t need investors to tell us what to do, we know what to do’ mentality.”
As for politics, he says he has noticed the country has been fundamentally and irreversibly, albeit slowly changing in the past two years. “The government must see the business sector as a partner not as just a sponsor of electoral campaigns.”
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)