Another day and another record low for Romania's beleaguered currency, battered constantly in recent weeks in the currency exchange markets. Figures for today ( July 20 ) from Romania's Central Bank (BNR) put the leu at 4.5848 against the euro and 3.7438 to the dollar. It is a further fall on the 4.5647 to the euro rate recorded on Wednesday ( July 18 ).

According to commentators, the BNR did intervene to buoy up the leu, a change from in recent weeks, when the BNR has opted not to take measures to prevent the leu's slide. Some pundits say that the announcement by the University of Bucharest's Ethics Committee that PM Victor Ponta's doctoral thesis was indeed plagiarized triggered the currency movement.

In the last month the Romanian leu has weakened, reaching low after low as political tensions have escalated between the main political parties in Romania.

editor@romania-insider.com