Romanian MPs adopted on Thursday the 2012 state budget law with 239 votes in favor and 168 against. While prime minister Emil Boc welcomed the vote noting that it was "the first time in the past 20 years when a budget with no electoral connotations is voted, the opposition protested saying the budget would not meet key objectives and maintains the gap between Romania and other European countries.

Democratic Liberal PM Emil Boc pointed out following the vote that previous budgets had major electoral influences. "When talks started about cutting deficit, Mr. Ponta [Victor Ponta, leader of the opposition Social Democrats] said it was stupid. Now he agrees with it, which means he started to understand Europe is going a different direction. (...) Tariceanu [former Liberal PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu] took away money from investments and gave it to salaries. The Fiscal Council report shows clearly the structural deficit of 2008".

Calin Popescu Tariceanu replied by saying Romania does not have the capacity to invest all funds budgeted for investments and that investment money this year amount to just a tenth of the 2008 level and that the current government continues demagogic practices.