Romania’s Hire of Lobby Firm to Strengthen US Ties Draws Criticism

Romanian President Nicusor Dan. Romania will pay about $3.3 million US over the next six months to US law firm Eversheds Sutherland for consultancy and representation services aimed at boosting relations with the White House and the US Congress, sparking criticism about the cost. “The contract aims to achieve objectives of strategic importance for Romania: increasing defence and deterrence capacity, attracting investments with significant impact, integration into important international structur

While there is broad agreement on the need to reinforce strategic ties with the US, there are concerns over the contract’s unusually high cost. The decision comes at a politically sensitive moment, following the recent ousting of former PM Ilie Bolojan’s pro-European government amid a backlash against austerity measures aimed at reducing the EU’s largest budget deficit. Data from the Foreign Lobby Watch database show that Romania spent only £100,000 on lobbying in the United States last year, broadly consistent with levels reported by other EU member states. “Now, Romania will spend in one month what other European Union countries typically spend in a year on lobbying in the US. Let’s hope this will also bring results,” public policy analyst Ovidiu Voicu, who reviewed the data, said. He questioned why Romania’s existing diplomatic and institutional channels are not considered sufficient to maintain relations with Washington without resorting to external lobbying and advisory services. President Nicusor Dan’s decision to deepen engagement with the US comes amid criticism that he has adopted an increasingly conservative and populist posture. Critics said his message on Europe Day sounded eurosceptic and he remained silent during the no-confidence vote that brought down the Bolojan government, triggered by an unusual alliance between the centre-left Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians, AUR. At the same time, Dan has maintained visible ties with the Trump administration. He was the only EU leader to attend Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” meeting in February, held amid heightened tensions between Washington and Brussels. Sociologist Remus Stefureac, however, argued that Romania’s lobbying arrangement is necessary in the current context. “The insecurity caused by a potential sharp cooling of relations with the US during this critical period would be far too costly for our freedom, prosperity, and security – for all of us,” he wrote in a social media post.

Key points

• While there is broad agreement on the need to reinforce strategic ties with the US, there are concerns over the contract’s unusually high cost.
• The decision comes at a politically sensitive moment, following the recent ousting of former PM Ilie Bolojan’s pro-European government amid a backlash against austerity measures aimed at reducing t…
• Data from the Foreign Lobby Watch database show that Romania spent only £100,000 on lobbying in the United States last year, broadly consistent with levels reported by other EU member states.
• “Now, Romania will spend in one month what other European Union countries typically spend in a year on lobbying in the US.
• Let’s hope this will also bring results,” public policy analyst Ovidiu Voicu, who reviewed the data, said.