In this exclusive interview with La Derecha Diario, Claudiu Năsui—former Minister of Economy of Romania and current deputy—reflects on the serious institutional crisis his country is experiencing following the cancellation of the presidential elections, an event he describes as "a blow to democracy." From a liberal perspective, Năsui denounces the role of the Romanian political caste and warns about the deterioration of his nation's democratic and economic credibility.
A declared admirer of Javier Milei, whom he considers "the best president in the world", Năsui draws parallels between the challenges of Romania and those of Argentina before the libertarian government. In a deep analysis, the Romanian economist values the fiscal chainsaw, criticizes gradualism, and calls to replicate the Argentine example in Eastern Europe. "Argentina found the cure. The world should look at what's working," he states.
The full interview with Claudiu Năsui
Ares: How do you interpret the suspension of the elections in Romania, an unprecedented decision, and what implications does it have for the country, its democratic institutions, and sovereignty?
Năsui: I believe it was a blow to democracy in Romania, because we basically had elections, there were results where the two main political parties—which have been in power for 35 years since the Romanian revolution—did not make it to the second round. What did they do? They recounted the votes.
Even so, they did not enter the runoff. Then, they annulled the elections. And I am very critical of that.
I am not a supporter of the candidate who won the first round. That candidate is basically an old-school socialist, one of those who love Ceaușescu. It would have been terrible news for Romania if that person were president. But still, if we live in a democracy, we must respect the results, right? That's why I find it very serious.
And now Romania has a problem selling itself to the world as a democracy after that annulment. The official version is that this candidate received Russian funding and used it on TikTok to convince people. I'm not saying it didn't happen, nor that he didn't violate funding rules, because he should have declared those funds.
But I don't think that was the real reason. They did it because their candidates were not in the second round. That becomes clear when you see they did the recount, and since the result was the same, they decided to annul it. It doesn't make sense.
So it was very sad. But, on the other hand, I'm glad that type didn't win. The libertarian part of me is happy we don't have such a socialist president, although I would have liked him to lose democratically. That would have been fair.
Ares: With the current political situation in Romania, how do you see the government's stance on economic liberalization and some free-market reforms?
Năsui: Romania is in a very bad situation, although not as bad as Argentina before Milei. The difference is that Romania is part of the European Union. So, you always have a plan B. There's always someone who can rescue you with cheap credits, countries much richer than Romania. Argentina didn't have that. And that's a double-edged sword. Because to start solving problems, sometimes you have to hit rock bottom. Argentina hit rock bottom.
And now they have, to me, the best president in the world. It's the only government doing what needs to be done. But they only got there because they hit rock bottom. Romania won't do that. It will always receive bailouts. And that scares me because all it does is prolong the agony.
Socialism fails. But if you always rescue it, you can extend its life indefinitely. In the short term, we have a huge deficit: 9% of GDP. You had 5.4%. We have 9%. Double. And the only ones governing don't talk about cutting spending, only about raising taxes.
I'm on the Budget and Finance Committee. I worked with budgets before entering politics. Spending is never cut. They only make cosmetic changes, fire a few people to simulate an adjustment. But the numbers don't go down, they always go up, even more than inflation.
What Milei achieved in Argentina, turning the deficit into a surplus, is unbelievable. It's difficult in the short term. People suffer, the economy has to restructure. But in the long term, you heal. It's like an alcoholic who has to stop drinking. At first, it's hard, but then he can have a happy life. Romania, on the other hand, keeps drinking. More socialism, more debt, more bailouts. And I think the next government will do exactly the same.
Ares: Do you think the Romanian people are ready for a change? To implement the "chainsaw" model in public spending and bureaucracy? Or do they want to continue with more taxes and more bailouts?
Năsui: I think so. The Romanian people are ready. In fact, that's one of my main political struggles: talking about deregulation, eliminating expenses, closing state agencies.
We have thousands. The famous video of Milei with the signs and the "out!" is exactly what I propose. The problem is that the establishment, "the caste," doesn't want to do that. Because they live off that spending.
What's happening in Argentina is unbelievable. A government that is truly on the side of the people, facing a system with decades of inertia.
That also happens in Romania, in the U.S., in France. It's always a privileged minority fighting to maintain their privileges at the expense of an impoverished majority.
That's why I talk so much about Milei. They ask me why I talk about Argentina if I'm Romanian. It's because we all have the same disease. And now someone is applying the cure.
It's no longer theory. It's a practical case, like East and West Germany, or North and South Korea. Different systems, same people, completely different results. After the Second World War, Germany was destroyed. But it adopted a good system and became a power.
And now we have Argentina. I remember the first time I read about Javier Milei in the newspaper. It said there was a presidential candidate in Argentina who wanted to cut more spending than the IMF proposed. All the other candidates said "we're not going to do what the IMF asks, we're going to negotiate."
But Milei said: "That's nothing compared to what I'm going to do. I'm going to cut three times more."
And I thought: "Wow! This guy is really saying what I believe." When he won, it was a great moment. I remember a talk with friends from my party, some said: "He won't last even a few months, in a year he's out. He's too extreme, people won't accept him."
