Indeed, I find it hard to understand how an earnest rating agency might assess sovereign risk without even referring to that country’s level of public debt and international reserves. As a professor, I can safely assume that the “subject is not treated”, hence the conclusion is unsubstantiated. As concerns these assessments, I must say however that things are not in the least that simple. Of course, we could assert that at present our economy is in a better position than those of other countries in the region rated within the “investment grade” range. But those countries have at least adopted austerity measures at domestic level. How do things stand in our country? After two consecutive years of wage increases in a range from 20 percent to 25 percent per year – i.e. more than twice the labour productivity gains – the wage rises envisaged for 2009 ranged between 50 percent and 60 percent, whereas the agreements with the trade unions, whenever struck, do not provide for hikes lower than 35 percent. Such an approach reveals a dangerous decoupling between aspirations and reality. In the current international context and given the already dangerously high level of external deficit, we must not aim at further increases in domestic consumption above labour productivity gains, since there are no more financing sources for something like that. And unless we understand this state of affairs ourselves, rating agencies are going to warn us.
With these thoughts, I wish the best of luck to all the editors of Ziarul Financiar as well as professionalism in dealing with the difficult economic issues to all the economic media. 4  BIS Review 161/2008