Less Regulation, More Growth: Why Speed Will Decide Romania’s Future

On September 17th, I’ll join the stage at Impact Bucharest 2025 for the Global Economy & Banking track. The panel’s theme is direct: “Less regulation, more growth. Building a more competitive economy in Romania and Poland.“

Let me be clear: Europe doesn’t lack money. It doesn’t lack technology. It doesn’t lack ideas.
What it lacks is speed.

In Romania, it can take years to get permits for energy, mining, or defense projects. That’s longer than it takes to build the actual project. By the time approvals come, the technology is outdated, the investors are gone, and the opportunity is lost.

That’s insane. And it kills competitiveness.

Investors don’t leave because of risk. They leave because of wasted time. And wasted time is the silent tax no one talks about.

Meanwhile, Poland shows that speed matters. Their CfD auctions, state-aid frameworks, and digital permitting pilots aren’t perfect, but they’re faster. And in the 21st century, faster beats perfect. Always.

So, what’s the fix? It’s not about “more regulation” or “less regulation”. It’s about smarter, faster regulation.

Here’s what I’ll argue in Bucharest:
🔹 Put every permit online. No stamps. No signatures. No mysterious folders. If Estonia can do it, why can’t we?
🔹 Put a timer on approvals. If government doesn’t answer in six months, the project moves forward. Period.
🔹 Use AI to test new rules before they’re passed. If they slow down the economy, kill them. If they accelerate growth, keep them.

And here’s the big idea: Regulatory Fast-Track Zones.
Strategic projects in energy, defense, and digital should get a simple rule — a yes or a no within six months. Not less control. Just faster, smarter control.

Because “slow equals dead.” If Romania and Poland want to be the engines of Europe’s economy, we can’t regulate like it’s the 20th century. We have to regulate at the speed of ambition.

I’ll be sharing these ideas on stage at Impact Bucharest 2025, alongside business leaders, policymakers, and regulators.

You can read more about me here in my official Impact speaker bio, and check the full agenda of the event at 👉 Impact Bucharest 2025.

#ImpactBucharest #ImpactSEE #MHGConsulting #GlobalEconomy #Regulation #Growth