January 21, 2025 UPDATE

A roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 21.01.2025, 20:00

ELECTIONS The Permanent Electoral Authority in Bucharest said political parties may begin to collect signatures for the candidates they will support in the presidential elections in May. The signatures can be collected only in physical format and a voter can support more than one candidate. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, is yet to kick-start the election period and to officially endorse the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu as their joint candidate in their respective leadership bodies. The Social Democratic leaders met on Tuesday and in principle endorsed Crin Antonescu as their presidential candidate in May, and decided to hold a party congress on 2nd February to give the final vote on his candidacy.

ECONOMY Romania’s fiscal structural plan has been approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), along with the plans of 20 other member states, the Romanian minister of investments and European projects Marcel Boloș announced on Tuesday. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Marcel Boloș explained that for the business environment, the fiscal plan protects the flat tax rate, with the European Commission agreeing that governments should not overtax economic success. He also said that thanks to the plan, European funding is protected, because failure to comply with the fiscal treaty would have led to its suspension. On the other hand, the Romanian official also points out, this plan preserves the country’s international credibility, as non-compliance with fiscal commitments would have led to a decrease in the country’s rating, which would have made loans more expensive and more difficult to access. The plan also secures support for investments, including for SMEs in Romania through state aid schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises operating especially in the manufacturing sector, which will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth.

EUFOR The Romanian defence ministry announced on Tuesday that Romania has taken over the command of the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR). With the command of EUFOR, the largest multinational operation in the Western Balkans conducted under the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), Romania currently exercises command of 2 of the 9 military operations and missions under the flag of the European Union, to which it contributes troops and military equipment, the same source mentions. After Brigadier General Ovidiu Lungu successfully completed his term as Chief of Staff of EUFOR ALTHEA between May 2023 and May 2024, the Romanian Army increased its representation within the operation by taking over the leadership of the most important multinational force in the Western Balkans. The stability of the region is a priority for Romania, and it has strategic importance for European and Euro-Atlantic security, the defence ministry points out.

CONGRATULATIONS Romania’s acting president Klaus Iohannis has congratulated the new White House leader Donald Trump on his investiture. “Romania, a close strategic partner of the US, wishes you the best of success for this important new mandate. We need a strong and vibrant transatlantic link, to the benefit of our joint EU-US security and prosperity”, president Iohannis posted on social media. The leaders of Romania’s biggest parties also congratulated Donald Trump on the inauguration of his second term in office on Monday.

DONALD TRUMP A few hours after taking office, Donald Trump pulled the US out of the World Health Organisation and the Paris Agreement on climate. He also signed an executive order on an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development global tax arrangement and asked the Department of Energy to resume processing export applications for liquefied natural gas. He declared an energy emergency in the US and revoked a number of orders introduced by the Biden administration, including one on the risks of artificial intelligence. Trump also lifted the sanctions imposed by Biden on the Jewish settlers who committed violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank. He instructed the Justice Department to dismiss the cases connected to the attack on the Capitol, pardoned 1,500 of his supporters who took the building by storm in 2021, and reduced and commuted the sentences of others. Trump declared the illegal immigration on the border with Mexico as a national emergency and the drug cartels as terrorist organisations, and signed a document affecting the granting of birth-right citizenship. Donald Trump also suspended refugee programmes for 4 months, which led to the cancellation of flights to the US for over 1,600 Afghans, including relatives of US soldiers.

FESTIVAL The 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival will place special emphasis on cultural events and concerts all across Romania and for all Romanians to enjoy, the festival’s artistic director, the Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru told a press conference on Monday in Bucharest. He said this year’s edition will see a number of special events, including the commemoration of 70 years since the death of George Enescu. The festival will take place between 24th August and 21st September and will feature 80 symphonic, chamber, choir and instrumental ensemble performances from 28 different countries.