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Press conference held by Mayor Mihai Polițeanu, Monday, 2 February 2026, at the Ploiești municipal headquarters

2 February 2026

The Mayor of the Municipality of Ploiești, Mr. Mihai Polițeanu, held on Monday, 2 February 2026, starting at 11:00 AM, at the municipal headquarters, a press conference whose main purpose was to present an overall picture of the financial situation, the budget execution for 2025 compared to 2024, as well as the priorities of the Ploiești administration for the current year.

Although 2024 was a critical year financially, with the Municipality of Ploiești being, de facto, in a state of bankruptcy, in 2025 it was possible to put Ploiești back on a balanced trajectory. Thus, it was possible to pay outstanding debts and arrears, debts were renegotiated, with reductions and rescheduling of some of them, regaining the credibility our city so much needed before its major partners – financial institutions and commercial partners.

Operating expenses were reduced, revenues grew and the municipality’s budget was significantly increased through higher revenues and the attraction of European funds. The district heating system was financially balanced, so that the Municipality of Ploiești no longer registers debts towards Termo Ploiești. Investments were doubled, mainly from European funds, and blocked European projects were saved, the signed European financing contracts reaching a total value of 494,023,068.20 lei.

  • The Ploiești budget grew by 18.2%, from 815 million lei to 963 million lei.
  • We started 2025 with a catastrophic immediately payable debt of 331 million lei. To date we have settled more than 2/3 of this amount.
  • We increased the investment budget by 112% compared to 2024: from 63 million to 134 million lei.
  • We reduced personnel expenses by almost 12 million lei and reduced the number of employees by 68 people.
  • In 2025 we had huge payment obligations for district heating subsidies, of 362 million lei, almost all being unpaid debts from the past. Today, we no longer have any debt towards the municipal company Termo Ploiești, but we have remained with 119 million lei rescheduled over the next 3 years.
  • The ”Republica de sub Castani” (Republic Under the Chestnut Trees) event, with a major impact on the social life of the city, represented only 0.15% of the budget, a tiny but well-spent sum.
  • The level of indebtedness of Ploiești is very low, which opens the way for development loans and opportunities for collaboration with financial institutions, including the issuance of municipal bonds.
  • The investment budget moved from 5th place by share in the total budget in 2024, to 3rd place in 2025.

For 2026, we have set the following priorities:

  • Maintaining the trend of further reducing debts.
  • Maintaining financial discipline and a prudent approach to operating expenses.
  • Increasing the investment budget.
  • Further accelerating the absorption of European funds.
  • Increasing the volume of investments from own revenues.
  • The volume of amounts spent on investments to reach one of the top two places among the budget execution chapters.
  • Tripling the budget for street repairs.
  • Allocating additional financial resources for T.C.E. (the local public transport company).

Simultaneously with the continued reduction of operating expenses, increased revenues and investments in mobility infrastructure (waiting stations and 20 new trams).

  • Financing for development:
    • Initiating procedures for the issuance of municipal bonds, intended for co-financing European projects;
    • Accessing already approved loans and finalising the procedures for financing from the European Investment Bank for the acquisition of 20 new trams;
    • Preparing the investment portfolio for 2027-2028, using: own revenues, European funds and loans.

Details on the positive financial evolution of Ploiești are in the attached document.