Radio România Internațional

Tag: 2025 presidential election

  • March 14, 2025

    March 14, 2025

    PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – Candidates for the presidential election in May have two more days to register with the Central Election Bureau, the deadline being March 15 at midnight. So far, only two candidates are officially enrolled in the race, their candidacies having been validated by the Constitutional Court: Crin Antonescu, supported by the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition, and the Bucharest Mayor General, Nicuşor Dan, who runs as an independent candidate. Deputy Victor Ponta also registered his candidacy as an independent candidate, for which he was excluded from the Social-Democratic Party. On the other hand, the Constitutional Court’s decision to definitively reject the candidacy of independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist who unexpectedly won the first round of last year’s presidential election, has prompted the parties that supported him, AUR and POT, to prepare a new electoral strategy. Thus, the leaders of the two parties, George Simion and Ana-Maria Gavrilă, announced they would both submit their candidacies for the presidential election, and one of them will withdraw once their candidacies are validated. The leader of USR, Elena Lasconi, who advanced to the second round last year, Diana Şoşoacă (from SOS Romania), who expressed confidence her candidacy would be upheld this time, as well as and MEP Cristian Terheş from the Romanian National Conservative Party, also submitted their candidacies.

     

    AID – The Government on Thursday adopted an additional 160-Euro financial aid for 2.5 million pensioners, more specifically those reporting incomes below 520 Euro. The aid will be disbursed in two installments, the first in April, the second in December, says Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

     

    STATISTICS – Romania’s active population stood at 8.17 million people at the end of 2024, of whom 7.7 million were employed, the National Statistics Institute reports. The employment rate is by 20% higher in the male segment and very low for youth. The unemployment rate at national level was 5.9%, with young people aged 24 and below accounting for 25% of the total number of unemployed.

     

    TRADE DEFICIT – Romania’s trade deficit increased by 38% in January, compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute reports. In 2024, Romania exported goods worth €92.6 billion, while its imports stood at €133.4 billion. Romania’s deficit remains significant, especially in relations with China, Germany and Poland, while recording surpluses with the UK, the Republic of Moldova and the USA, although in smaller volumes. Trade in agricultural products and foostuffs remains vulnerable, as Romania mainly exports raw materials and imports end products. To reduce the €5 billion trade deficit in this area, experts recommend a strategy focused on the export of value-added products and more efficient use of statistical data for better-founded economic decisions.

     

    WEATHER ALERT – Meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert against strong wind, in place today for the west, southwest and center. On Thursday, storms were reported in Bucharest and several counties, with a code red alert against thunderstorms in place for several hours. The storm killed a man, injured another two people and caused significant material damages. Rooftops were torn off, electricity poles snapped and power outages were reported in over 35 settlements. In Bucharest and the neighboring Ilfov County over 60 trees were felled, constructions elements came loose and a pole was knocked down by the wind. Dozens of cars were damaged. Variable skies and temperatures ranging between 16 and 24 degrees Celsius are reported for today, with possible showers and thunderstorms announced in most regions.

     

    FOOTBALL – UEFA has handed FCSB a 30,000-Euro fine for the incidents reported in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, played in Bucharest. Parts of the stadium will also be closed for the next match in EU competitions. The penalties were awarded due to the racist or discriminatory abuse by fans. The club will have to pay an additional 1,500 Euro for torches lit in the stands. FCSB lost the first leg 3-1 in Bucharest last week as well as the second leg played yesterday away from home to Olympique Lyon of France. (VP)

  • January 5, 2025

    January 5, 2025

    BUDGET – The government seeks to set the final details for the draft budget for 2025 by the end of the month, so that the new Parliament may debate and vote on the law in a special sitting. The government relies on a budget deficit of 7% of the GDP, as per a deal with the European Commission, without taking additional fiscal measures. The authorities need to slash public spending and carry out reforms stipulated in the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The government wants to freeze salaries in the public sector as well as child-rearing allowances. Party funding will also be cut by 25% compared to the previous year. A hiring freeze will be introduced in the public sector, while certain institutions will undergo a restructuring process. The tax on dividends is expected to go up from 8% to 10%, while a new tax on special constructions will be introduced. Pensions too will see no increase this year, with the reference point expected to stagnate at 16 EUR. The authorities also seek to cut overspending by 1% of the GDP, tantamount to some 19 bln EUR, but also to boost budget revenues by implementing reforms provided in the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

     

    ELECTION – Former PNL leader, Crin Antonescu, says the ruling coalition agreement for supporting his candidacy in the 2025 presidential election is de facto suspended. Antonescu told a private TV station on Saturday that he won’t withdraw from the race, but that he noticed the four political leaders who nominated him “did not make a powerful enough commitment when signing the agreement”. We recall that on December 23, ruling coalition parties (PSD, PNL, UDMR and the group of national minorities) agreed to support Crin Antonescu’s candidacy in the 2025 presidential election, with the executive bodies of each party being expected to vote the decision. The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for March 23, while the second round will take place on April 6, with the authorities expected to pass a decree on this matter by January 7.

     

    FLU – Medical experts have again recommended mass-vaccination in school children resuming classes after the winter holidays, given that hospitals are overcrowded with patients diagnosed with the flu virus, with very high waiting times in emergency wards. In the last week, 57 thousand cases of flu, pneumonia or other respiratory infections have been identified. The flu virus runs rampant across Europe as well. Additional temporary inpatient units were set up in France in a number of hospitals to ease pressure on emergency wards. Doctors say we are dealing with a sizable epidemic, while most cases are reported in unvaccinated people. A similar situation is reported in Spain, where overcrowded hospitals are bracing for the epidemic to peak soon.

     

    STUDY – Over the next four years, Romania will take part in a study on the relevant skills needed to become better integrated on the labor market and actively contribute to society. Carried out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the project seeks to assess and compare basic skills in adults aged 16-65 from various countries in order to have a better understanding of the level of literacy and skills required to solve digital problems. The findings of the study will be used to develop education and training policies, to adapt to labor market requirements, reduce gaps in skill development and support social inclusion.

     

    AUSTRIA – Austria’s Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, announced he would resign over the coming days after talks between the People’s Party (ÖVP) and the Social Democrats (SPÖ) collapsed following the surprise withdrawal of the liberal Neos party from coalition negotiations. Karl Nehammer said the Conservatives and Social-Democrats could not agree on key policies, and said he would also step down as party leader. The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won September’s election, but Karl Nehammer and the other parties ruled out the possibility of forming a ruling coalition with this party.

     

    HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s handball team is today playing Georgia in the Carpați Trophy tournament, hosted by Mioveni (south). In the other match scheduled today, Turkey is playing Serbia. On Friday, Romania grabbed a 35-26 win over Turkey, while on Saturday it drew 31-31 against Serbia. Serbia tops the ranking with the same number of points as Romania, although separated by a superior goal-average ratio. (VP)

  • December 16, 2024 UPDATE

    December 16, 2024 UPDATE

    SANCTIONS – EU Foreign Affairs Ministers on Monday greenlit the 15th package of sanctions against Russia since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The new economic measures are designed to combat Russia’s efforts to bypass existing sanctions and to weaken its army and defense sector. Another 52 ships believed to be part of Putin’s so-called “shadow tanker fleet” were blacklisted. 32 companies were added to the list of export restrictions for contributing “to the technological enhancement of Russia’s defense and security sector”, the EU Council announced. Some of these entities are located in China, India, Iran, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates. 84 individuals and entities will be subject to fully-fledged sanctions (travel ban, asset freeze, prohibition to make economic resources available) “for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”. At the same time, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, has denied information according to which the EU was planning to deploy a peace-keeping corps to Ukraine. Representing Romania at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting was Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu.

     

    CANDIDACY – Bucharest Mayor General, Nicușor Dan, has announced his intention to run as an independent candidate in the 2025 presidential election. At present, Romania is facing the most difficult period in its history after the 1989 anti-communist revolution, Nicușor Dan said, arguing in favor of a fundamental change in the way the authorities meet citizens’ expectations. The candidacy was not negotiated with pro-European parties in the new Parliament, the Bucharest official told journalists. Nicușor Dan needs to gather 200 thousand signatures to be able to run for the presidential office. We recall that last week the Constitutional Court of Romania annuled the second round of the presidential election slated for December 8 after allegations of Russian interference with the election process.

     

    NEGOTIATIONS – Leaders of pro-European parties (PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR) met on Monday for a new round of talks regarding the structure of the new government. The governing program and budget estimates have generated tensions. Finance Minister Marcel Boloș told leaders that the budget deficit will exceed 8% this year, and that the only way to boost budget revenues is to increase taxes and cut public spending. USR representatives criticized the Minister and argued against any tax increases, calling instead for slashing public spending and the disclosure of public data linked to the budget execution for November before deciding on the 2025 budget. A new meeting is expected to take place to decide on the final list of ministries that each party will control.

     

    TIMIȘOARA – The city of Timișoara (west) on Monday marks 35 years since the start of the anti-communist revolution of 1989. 35 years ago on December 16, parishioners of the local reformed church gather to voice support of Pastor László Tőkés, who was to be evicted by the former political police, the Securitate. Their protest quickly escalated into a genuine uprising, which triggered reprisals from the authorities. 100 people were killed and several hundreds were wounded. On December 20, Timișoara became the first city free of communism in Romania and the flame of revolution engulfed the entire country. Under the motto, “35 years of freedom”, the city this week is hosting a series of commemorative events devoted to the martyrs of the 1989 events, such as conferences, exhibitions, shows, concerts and film screenings. The ‘Freedom Portal’, an audio-visual installation, which reproduces the sounds recorded during the revolution, was inaugurated on Monday. Later in the evening the traditional march, “Heroes Never Die” took place. The city will observe a day of mourning on Tuesday, while the series of events will end on December 20 with a concert entitled ‘Rock for Revolution’. (VP)

  • Bucharest Mayor General Nicușor Dan makes presidential bid

    Bucharest Mayor General Nicușor Dan makes presidential bid

    Bucharest Mayor General, Nicușor Dan, has made public his intention to run in the 2025 presidential election. “We are at a turning point in our history, the most difficult after the Revolution. With their vote, Romanians have told us they have had enough”, Nicușor Dan told a press briefing on Monday evening.

    The Bucharest official said he will submit an independent candidacy. “I am open to talk with pro-European parties if they want to back my candidacy. Romania needs a president who makes sure the government truly follows the path to reforms that political parties support these days. I am confident Romanian society will take advantage of this unexpected moment to reflect and find the resources to move on, to make the change”.

     

    We recall that, after the December 1 parliamentary election, the pro-European parties that secured mandates in the new Parliament (PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the group of national minorities) signed a resolution to endorse a single candidate in the 2025 presidential election.  (VP)