Romanian government’s health spending will fall short

Significance

The November 14 fire happened at a very old provincial hospital in Piatra Neamt in north-eastern Romania, but the January 29 tragedy was at one of Romania’s most modern and well-funded units in Bucharest -- the Matei Bals hospital. Both exposed long-term problems in the healthcare system.

Impacts

• When the more infectious variant of COVID-19 becomes prevalent, the third wave of the pandemic will push emergency care closer to collapse.
• Recent austerity measures will generate public-sector discontent including among healthcare workers, but will not trigger massive protests.
• Disenchantment with governing parties may turn people to the radical AUR party that entered parliament in December for the first time.