March 13, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 13.03.2025, 13:55
A roundup of local and international news.
SUPPORT – Romania’s Foreign Affair Minister Emil Hurezeanu reiterated, at a working meeting with EU ambassadors in Bucharest, Romania’s support for the neighboring Ukraine and for the consolidation of the European Union’s security and defense policy. At the same time, Hurezeanu emphasized the importance of a solid transatlantic partnership, vital for European security and prosperity. The meeting in Bucharest was held in the context of Poland holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
ELECTIONS – Elena Lasconi, the leader of the pro-Western party USR and Diana Şoşoacă, the head of the populist, ultranationalist party SOS Romania, are today submitting their candidacies for the May presidential elections. Both parties are in the opposition. Sosoaca also ran in last year’s presidential race, but the Constitutional Court rejected her candidacy. Elena Lasconi qualified for the second round, alongside the pro-Russian and anti-West extremist Calin Georgescu, but the Constitutional Court annulled the election due to the electoral process being flawed in favor of the latter. The Court has rejected Georgescu’s candidacy for the upcoming elections. Following this decision, the AUR leader George Simion and POT leader Ana Maria Gavrilă, both populist ultranationalists who supported Georgescu, have announced that they will submit their candidacies, with one of them to withdraw after their validation. Former PSD leader and prime minister Victor Ponta also entered the presidential race, which has triggered his expulsion from the party. The PSD – PNL – UDMR ruling coalition has a common candidate, namely, the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu. He and the current Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, are the only political competitors accepted, so far, by the Central Electoral Bureau and validated by the Constitutional Court. The deadline for registering candidacies at the Central Electoral Bureau is March 15.
INFLATION – The annual inflation rate rose to 5.02% in February, from 4.95% in January. Food prices rose by 4.54%, non-food prices by 4.79%, and services by 6.42%, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics. The National Bank of Romania has revised upwards, to 3.8%, from 3.5% previously, the inflation forecast for the end of 2025 and anticipates that it will reach 3.1% at the end of 2026, according to data made public in February by the Governor of the National Bank, Mugur Isărescu.
STRIKE – A two-hour warning strike has taken place today at IAR Ghimbav, a Romanian aeronautical plant in central Romania. The reason for the protest is the government’s emergency ordinance on reducing budget spending. According to the unions, the document stipulates that the bonus granted under the Collective Labor Agreement upon retirement is paid in instalments, over five years, while following fresh negotiations it is to be capped at a maximum of one basic salary. The protesters say that an ordinance that cancels the granting of certain rights, directly affects the negotiation of the collective labor agreement.
PLANT – Several dozen employees of the Liberty Galati steel plant (southeastern Romania) protested on Wednesday, unhappy with the delays in the payment of salaries and other rights. The plant has not been operational for nine months. Workers have not yet taken the decision to call an all-out strike and say they are still waiting for clarification from the plant’s management. According to experts, the situation in Galati reflects the general crisis in the European steel industry.
PENSIONERS – The Bucharest government has today approved the granting of financial aid of 800 lei (approx. 160 euros) for 2.5 million pensioners. Social-Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu explained that this support is intended for those with incomes of up to 2,574 lei (approx. 515 euros). The first installment will be granted in April, and the second in December. Also today, the executive has also approved a draft emergency order to amend Order no. 59/2000 regarding the status of forestry employees. Ciolacu announced that they would no longer benefit bonuses equivalent to at least five salaries, in the last month of activity. These bonuses amounted to 10 salaries in the case of Romsilva leaders, Marcel Ciolacu also said. In January, the Minister of Environment, Mircea Fechet, said that there are hundreds of former Romsilva employees who have received retirement bonuses of 100,000 euros.
FOOTBALL – The Romanian football champion, FCSB (Bucharest), is up against the French team Olympique Lyon, this evening, away, in the decisive leg of the round of 16 of the Europa League. FCSB lost the first match against Lyon 3-1. The Bucharest team qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League after eliminating, following a double victory, the Greek team PAOK Salonic, coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. (EE)
