Category: The Week in Review

Romania’s interim president attends European Council in Brussels

Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Thursday in Brussels called for an increased role from Europe in maintaining peace on the continent, supporting Europe and boosting defence spending. He attended an extraordinary meeting of the European Council where EU heads of state and government promised to support Ukraine in the context of the foreign policy pursued by the US president Donald Trump and to spend more on defence. The EU worked out a defence plan agreed by the leaders of the member states and whose priority is strengthening defence on the eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. EU states will have at their disposal a fund of 150 billion euros for defence spending. Here’s Ilie Bolojan speaking about this plan:

“Most certainly, most of this endowment, of these investments, will be focused in this area, and with respect to production, to the consortia, this will be spread out across the entire European Union. I believe this is also an opportunity for our defence industry, for these products to be manufactured in factories in Romania, creating jobs.”

Romania said it will not send troops to Ukraine, but is willing to become a regional defence centre providing logistics and support for the troops deployed by other states. Ilie Bolojan:

“Romania’s presence will be necessary in terms of planning and elements that have to do with the use of our infrastructure, military bases, for example, or other elements of defence infrastructure like ports and airports.”

After the summit in Brussels, Ilie Bolojan said Romania cannot double its military spending from one year to the next and recalled that last year, it spent more than 2.2% of GDP on defence, while the European average was 1.9%.

Romania and NATO’ eastern flank

Romanian interim president Ilie Bolojan on Monday had a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, saying the North Atlantic Alliance is the main guarantor of Romania’s security. He insisted on the importance of the transatlantic relationship and the American presence in Europe, which he views as essential for the security of the continent. Romania continues to contribute to the stability and security of NATO’s eastern flank alongside its partners and to support the consolidation of security in the Black Sea region, Ilie Bolojan emphasised. He added that Romania is once again ready to boost its investments in the defence sector. Referring to the situation in Ukraine, he spoke of the need for a fair and lasting peace and the importance of maintaining support for the neighbouring state. Mark Rutte thanked Romania for its contribution as an allied state and for being a member state that acts responsibly, being an important factor of security and stability in the Black Sea area and on the eastern flank.

Romania rejects Russian accusations

The authorities in Bucharest have categorically rejected the claims of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service that the European Union blackmailed Romania into blocking the candidacy of independent candidate Călin Georgescu in the presidential elections in May. Without providing any evidence, the Russian service claims that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asked the authorities in Bucharest to ban him from participating in the next election, warning that otherwise she would restrict Romania’s access to European funds. The Romanian Foreign Ministry qualifies the accusations of the Russian service as “ridiculous and completely unfounded” and says they are part of a hybrid campaign to undermine democracy and diminish trust in the authorities. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu considers the comments of a Russian secret service regarding decisions of the Romanian authorities intolerable. Meanwhile, Georgescu remains under judicial control for 60 days, after judges on Thursday rejected as unfounded his complaint against the measure in the case in which he is being investigated for several crimes. Prosecutors accuse Georgescu of plotting to destabilize Romania with the help of mercenaries led by Horațiu Potra, after the Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election.

Treason case in Romania

The Bucharest Court of Appeal ordered the preventive arrest of two members of a group formed and developed on the model of a military structure, accused of treason and ties to Russian agents, as well as the placement of four other members under judicial control for 60 days. Radu Theodoru, a retired major general, aged 101, is also being investigated as a suspect in the case. According to DIICOT, the organized crime service, the group aimed to withdraw Romania from NATO, abolish the constitutional order, abolish parties, adopt a new constitution, and change the flag, anthem, and even the name of the country. Investigators also say that the group members requested support from officers at the Russian Embassy and had several contacts with agents of a foreign power, both in Romania and in Russia. In the meantime, the Romanian authorities declared the Russian military attaché in Bucharest and his deputy persona non grata. The Romanian Intelligence Service stated that the two had collected information from areas of interest, and supported the anti-constitutional actions of the six Romanians accused of treason. Furthermore, recently, the name of the deputy of the Russian military attaché appeared in the criminal file of the former presidential candidate, the pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu.

Annual meeting of heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Bucharest

Romania maintains its main foreign policy directions, as a member of the EU and NATO, having a Strategic Partnership with the US and being open to cooperation with all partners who share the same values and principles that Bucharest supports. This is one of the messages sent by the country’s interim president at the annual meeting of heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Bucharest. Ilie Bolojan declared that it is time for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which began three years ago, to stop. He noted that a ceasefire, followed as soon as possible by a just and lasting peace, is an objective that must be pursued by both the parties to the conflict and the entire international community. Ilie Bolojan asked Romanian diplomats to get more involved in the country’s economic promotion, emphasizing that Romania remains a reliable and willing partner in this regard.

Romania advocates for cooperation between European countries and the US in resolving the crisis in Ukraine

On Wednesday, interim president Ilie Bolojan went to Paris, for a new meeting organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, after the one on Monday, which took place in a restricted format. Ilie Bolojan used this opportunity to advocate for cooperation between European countries and the United States in resolving the crisis in Ukraine, given that Washington has begun dialogue with Moscow to end the war. Ukraine’s security is also the security of Europe and Romania, declared the interim president. He also stated that coordination at the EU level is needed in order to have an action plan aimed at continuing support for Ukraine. Ilie Bolojan also had a separate meeting with Emmanuel Macron, during which the two leaders reconfirmed the strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as the stability of the French military presence in Romania, which will be consolidated in the coming period.

Security decisions in the Parliament in Bucharest

The Chamber of Deputies adopted, without amendments, as the first party to be notified, the draft law that allows the shooting down of drones that illegally enter the national airspace. These will be destroyed or neutralized if the Romanian or NATO military forces are unable to control them. A favorable vote was also received for the project regarding the peacetime deployment of military missions in the country, and one of the included measures allows, for a limited period, the authority of some structures of the Romanian Army to be transferred to a commander of the allied military forces participating in these actions. The projects were criticized by the sovereignist opposition parties, while the parties in the governing coalition – PSD, PNL and UDMR – and, in the opposition, USR voted in their favor.

Discussions in Brussels between the Romanian Prime Minister and the head of the European community executive

The renegotiation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as the global and regional security situation, were included on the agenda of Friday’s talks in Brussels between Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The government wants Romania to fully absorb the funds made available to it through the European mechanism. In this regard, the Prime Minister announced a broad mobilization to recover the gaps registered so far in attracting European funding. In his opinion, however, there are a number of aspects of the NPRR that require adaptation to current realities and the reprofiling of investments with lower co-financing.

Election details

The President of the Constitutional Court of Romania rules out the possibility of a second round of the presidential elections. In an interview with the online publication juridice.ro, Marian Enache defended last year’s decision to annul the electoral process, taken unanimously by the constitutional judges. He explained that the Court’s decision was based on declassified documents in the national security council meeting, which highlighted serious irregularities regarding equal opportunities, financing of the electoral campaign, and influencing the vote. According to the president of the CCR, annulling the election was the only constitutional solution that would guarantee a fair electoral process for all citizens.

National Constantin Brâncuși Day

Since 2015, Romania has been marking National Constantin Brâncuși Day annually on February 19, paying tribute to the personality of the great Romanian sculptor, who was born 149 years ago. The Romanian Cultural Institute has scheduled several thematic events. On Tuesday, in Bucharest, the screening of the documentary “Brâncuşi, the Metamorphoses of Sculpture” took place, which used rare video archives featuring the great Romanian sculptor’s studio, while exhibitions, film screenings, or conferences are scheduled abroad in Beijing, Istanbul, Madrid, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, Vienna, Lisbon and Stockholm.

Romania has a representative in the European football spring season

Romania’s football champion, FCSB, qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League, after eliminating, on Thursday evening, at the National Arena in Bucharest, the Greek team PAOK Salonic, coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. FCSB won 4-1 on aggregate against PAOK Salonic: in the first leg, in Greece, the score was 2-1, and, in Bucharest, the Romanian champion won 2-0, in front of over 50 thousand spectators. FCSB will play the first leg of the round of 16 at home on March 6, and the return leg on March 13.

Romanian presidential election calendar

The PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition government in Bucharest has adopted the presidential election calendar. According to the document, the first round of voting will take place on May 4, and the second – on May 18. Candidacies are submitted to the Central Electoral Bureau by March 15. The electoral campaign will begin on April 4 and end on May 3, at 7:00. While the actual voting on Romanian territory will begin on May 4, at 7:00, and end at 9:00 p.m., voting abroad will take place for three days, starting on May 2, at 7:00 a.m. local time. On the third day, voting will end at 21:00, Romanian time, but, as within the country, there is the possibility of extending this interval until 23:59, Romanian time, if there are still voters in the polling station or waiting in line. The second round of voting will begin in the country on May 18, while voting abroad will also last three days, and will begin on May 16, following the same rules as in the first round. We recall that, on December 6 last year, after validating the first round, and the second round was already underway in polling stations abroad, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the presidential elections, citing interference by a state actor. The CCR then decided that the electoral process should be resumed in its entirety.

The Venice Commission and the Romanian elections

The Venice Commission published its report on Monday on the annulment of the Romanian presidential elections by the Constitutional Court. The recommendations that were made state that such a decision should not be based exclusively on classified information, which does not guarantee the necessary transparency, but should precisely indicate the violations and evidence. In addition, the power of the Constitutional Court to invalidate the elections should be limited to exceptional circumstances and clearly regulated. Independent constitutional law experts also argue that proving violations of the law through online campaigns and social media is particularly difficult. Finally, the Venice Commission declines its competence to rule on the decision of the Romanian Constitutional Court to annul the presidential elections. In Bucharest, political parties in opposition today, namely the pro-European USR and the sovereignist AUR and the Young People’s Party, reacted immediately, emphasizing that, in effect, the consultative body of the Council of Europe confirmed that the Constitutional Court’s decision was illegal and abusive. Former Justice Minister Tudorel Toader explained, however, that this commission issued opinions, not a decision, and that the suggestions made are not binding.

Romania’s draft state budget for this year has been finalized

Romania’s draft state budget for 2025 is going through the final stages before the Government sends the document for debate in Parliament, where Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu expects to receive the final vote next week. The executive promises a frugal budget, based on realistic estimates of revenues and better collection of taxes and duties by the tax authorities, with sizable allocations for investments. The budget is built taking into account an economic growth of 2.5% in 2025, and an average inflation of 4.4%, with the deficit being set at 7% of the Gross Domestic Product. The funds allocated to the Presidential Administration, the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies will decrease, and the budgets of some ministries, such as environment, health, education, or transport, will increase. The largest increases are observed, according to a draft of the project, at the ministries of education, health, environment, and transport, but, by far, the most significant increase will be at the Ministry of Energy, with 153%.

Three suspects arrested in the case of the theft of the Romanian Dacian treasure from the Netherlands

Three people suspected of stealing the Romanian Dacian treasure from the Drents Museum in Assen were arrested by the Dutch police in the city of Heerhugowaard, in the province of North Holland. The information was confirmed by representatives of the Romanian Ministry of the Interior, who specified that all three are Dutch citizens. However, there is no information about the location of the stolen artifacts. These are the golden helmet from Coţofeneşti and three Dacian bracelets from Sarmizegetusa Regia – heritage objects, but also essential parts of the history and identity of the Romanian people, an invaluable cultural heritage not only for Romania, but for the entire world, specifies the Minister of Culture in Bucharest, Natalia Intotero. The minister dismissed the director of the National Museum of History of Romania, whom he criticized for the way he communicated publicly and institutionally in the case of the theft of the treasure items. We recall that the History Museum is the one that sent the artifacts to the exhibition in the Netherlands. In the meantime, several investigations are underway in the country regarding the way the exhibition in the Netherlands was organized, and whether all legal provisions were complied with.

Romanian football champion FCSB will play in the Europa League play-off

Romanian football champion FCSB was defeated by the English team Manchester United with a score of 2-0, Thursday evening, at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the eighth and final round of the Europa League football competition. The Bucharest team will play in the play-offs for the round of 16. The Romanian champion ranked 11th. The top eight qualified directly for the round of 16.

Deficit

Romania’s plan to reduce the budget deficit was approved on Tuesday by the European Finance Ministers, along with the finance ministers of seven other states for which the European Commission opened the special procedure for excessive budget deficit. Romania’s fiscal budget plan aims to stabilize the public debt and reduce the deficit below 3% of the GDP in the period 2025-2031. Romanian Minister Tánczos Barna stated that reducing the deficit over a period of seven years, instead of four, will allow the economy to maintain an adequate level of public investments. It is, at the same time, the minister claims, a premise for avoiding imbalances and sustainable economic growth. On the sidelines of the Council in Brussels, Commissioner Valdis Dombrolskis had a separate meeting with the Romanian Minister of Finance to discuss the details of the plan. Tánczos Barna says that in the next seven years, Romania will receive financial and technical support to restore the macroeconomic balance. The parameters indicated by the European Commission aim, as a whole, to keep public expenses under control and ensure economic growth through investments.

Parliament Reorganization

The President of the Romanian Senate, Ilie Bolojan, announced on Wednesday that the Senate posts would be reduced from almost 800 to just over 600, and the car fleet of the legislative forum and the fuel quota would also be reduced. Bolojan has given assurances that the process will be fair and transparent, with the aim of ensuring a more efficient activity and reducing costs. Senate staff and union representatives criticize the approach, and several employees protested spontaneously, right during the announcement. The trade union federations have denounced what they call the “abusive and opaque method” through which restructuring measures are adopted and communicated and claim that the reorganization of the institution is “lacking transparency and fairness”.

The Liberal leader has also announced the reorganization of the Chamber of Deputies and the reduction of the number of secretaries of state. Here, more than 200 positions will eliminated out of around 1,100, confirmed the president of the Chamber, Ciprian Şerban. Energy efficiency measures, such as reducing the lighting of the building, are also being considered. The reorganization plan will be finalized next week. The announcements related to the reorganization of central public institutions and state companies come in the conditions where the Bucharest Government is trying to reduce the budget deficit, including public spending. From the opposition, the Save Romania Union requests the leaders of the governing coalition to publicly present the complete list of institutes and agencies that they will abolish or merge, as well as the criteria for selecting employees.

Presidential Elections

In Bucharest, the central board of the Social Democratic Party(PSD) validated on Tuesday the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu as the joint candidate of the governing coalition PSD-PNL-UDMR for the presidential elections in May. The decision made by the Social Democrats comes after the analysis of the sociological studies carried out in the last two weeks regarding the Romanians’ voting intentions in the presidential election. Also on Tuesday, the date of the party’s extraordinary congress was set, on February 2, when the former Liberal leader’s candidacy will be fully validated. The National Liberal Party (PNL) is going to validate Crin Antonescu’s candidacy on Sunday, at the meeting of the National Political Council, and the UDMR will present its decision early next week. The presidential elections are scheduled for May 4 and 18. At the beginning of the week, the Permanent Electoral Authority in Bucharest announced that the parties can start collecting signatures for the candidates they support in the May presidential elections. Signatures can only be collected in physical form, and one voter can support several candidates.

INSCOP Survey

An INSCOP survey, published on Tuesday, shows that 90% of Romanians reject the idea of leaving NATO, a record level of adherence to the North Atlantic Organization. According to the research, based on data collected at the end of last year, in the last three years there has been a 10% increase in Romanians’ adherence to the Western direction from the point of view of political and military alliances. The survey also shows that Romania’s membership in the European Union is seen as an advantage in terms of the implications on economic and social life, on family and personal life, by almost three quarters of the respondents. Three years ago, only 55% of Romanians believed this. At the same time, 88 percent believe that Romania should remain in the EU, and 78% that the country’s economic future depends on its EU membership. Three years ago, a quarter of the population said that Romania would be better off leaving the Union. Finally, the research also shows, more than half of Romanians believe that the country should put national interests first, even if this means violating EU rules.

George Enescu Festival

The program of this year’s George Enescu International Festival was published, and on Tuesday the subscriptions for this event went on sale. The 27th edition of the Festival will mark 70 years since the death of the great Romanian composer. Approximately 4,000 Romanian and international artists, 80 orchestras and musical groups from 28 countries have already announced their presence, which will bring to the fore both the artistic legacy of George Enescu, and his impact on universal classical music. This anniversary edition will have an original program, which will attract the traditional music-loving public, but also the young, with almost 100 concerts and shows, grouped into seven large series, for all categories of classical music lovers. The festival will take place between August 24 and September 21, 2025, under the high patronage of the President of Romania. (MI)

Presidential elections redux

The first round of the presidential elections will take place on May 4, and the second round on May 18 – the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition government in Bucharest established on Thursday. Romanians in the country will vote during a single day, and those in the diaspora will have three days, but on the last day, Sunday, the polling stations will close at 9:00 PM Romanian time, regardless of the local time zone. The decision was made to avoid leaving a time gap to influence the vote when it would have closed in Romania, but would have remained open abroad, in the polling stations to the west of the country. The authorities have also imposed stricter rules for the electoral campaign, especially on the internet, non-compliance with which can be fined up to 50,000 lei (about 10 thousand euros), and, in the case of large online platforms, up to 5% of turnover.

The government decision setting the date of the presidential elections was published in the Official Gazette. Representatives of several non-governmental organizations stated that it is unacceptable to adopt such a normative act without a real public debate and without an analysis of the aspects that affected the previously canceled election. We recall that, after validating the first round of the presidential elections on November 24, the Constitutional Court of Romania canceled the presidential elections in their entirety on December 6, while voting for the second round had already begun in the diaspora.

The CCR made the decision after the Supreme Council for National Defense published a report that spoke of external interference in the electoral process, unconfirmed, however, for now, by judicial investigations. Tens of thousands of people from all over the country took to the streets on Sunday, most of them in Bucharest, to demand the resumption of the second round, which they consider to have been unjustly canceled. Many also called for the resignation of Klaus Iohannis, who is still president, although on December 21 he had completed his second and last term to which he was entitled. 161 opposition MPs signed for the suspension of the president, and the AUR party officially requested the convening of an extraordinary session of Parliament between January 20 and 24, in order to begin the suspension procedure. For this purpose, the vote of 234 MPs is needed.

NBR decisions

The National Bank of Romania maintains its cautious attitude and decided this week to keep the monetary policy interest rate unchanged, at 6.5% per year. The reference interest rate has not been changed since August, amid efforts to reduce inflation. According to the NBR, it increased more than expected in the last quarter of 2024, due to fuel prices and the summer drought. Experts are cautious about a possible decrease in the monetary policy interest rate this year. They believe that if the domestic economic context does not improve after the presidential elections, there may also be great pressure on the exchange rate of the national currency. On the other hand, the Romanian Government is working on the draft budget for 2025. The deficit target of 7% established with the European Commission will be maintained, as well as a target of 7% of GDP for investments.

Again, about the Mineriadă

Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu and former Prime Minister Petre Roman were indicted again this week in the Mineriadă case (the miner raids) of June 1990 for crimes against humanity. Prosecutors must start the investigation from scratch after the evidence they had previously collected was annulled in court. They claim that in June 1990, decision-makers in the Romanian state launched a policy of repression against the civilian population in the capital, resulting in the killing of 4 people, the rape of 2, physical and/or mental harm to over 1,300 people, and the unlawful imprisonment of over 1,200. Starting in April 1990, a protest took place in Bucharest for several weeks, in opposition to the power that had just been established after the anti-communist Revolution.

According to prosecutors, on June 13, 14 and 15, repressive action was taken against the demonstrators, in which forces of the Ministry of Interior, Defense Ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, as well as over ten thousand miners, and other workers from several areas of the country were illegally involved. The miners brought to Bucharest devastated the headquarters of the newly founded or re-established political parties after the Revolution and which were in opposition, as well as the homes of the main political leaders in the opposition, the headquarters of independent press publications and of some educational institutions.

National Culture Day

Since 2011, Romania celebrates National Culture Day every year on January 15, the birthday of national poet Mihai Eminescu. This year, it was the celebration of 175 years since the birth of the person who is considered the greatest Romanian poet. Dedicated to Romanian culture, art, and academic effort, National Culture Day was celebrated, through numerous events, in all communities inhabited by Romanians inside and outside the country’s borders. However, there were also protests by members of the Federation of Culture and Press Unions, CulturMedia, who wanted to draw attention to the underfunding of the sector and the wage inequities that affect employees in museums, libraries, and cultural centers.

Calendar of the new presidential elections in Romania

The political parties that make up the ruling coalition in Romania, together with representatives of national minorities, agreed on Wednesday the calendar of the new presidential elections. The first round will take place on May 4, and the second round on May 18, with the decision to be legally implemented next week through normative acts adopted by the Executive. The decision comes after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election process last year due to foreign hybrid interference, and the undeclared financing of the electoral campaign of one of the candidates. Specifically, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu, an ultranationalist and admirer of Vladimir Putin, who surprised everyone by managing to collect the most votes in the first round of the elections on November 24. In its first meeting this year, the governing coalition also established that former PNL president Crin Antonescu would be validated, in February, in the leadership forums of the component parties as a common presidential candidate. Until then, an opinion poll will be organized to find out the mood of the population and its real problems. Announced, on December 23, as the sole representative of the coalition in the race for president, a few days ago Crin Antonescu had suspended himself from the agreement, citing the lack of a concrete date for the presidential elections, as well as the lack of support from the political forces that proposed him. Wednesday was also the day when the Bucharest Court of Appeal published the reasoning for the decision by which the legal action opened on December 31 by Călin Georgescu and the Coalition for the Defense of the Rule of Law against the Central Electoral Bureau in connection with the annulment of the presidential elections was rejected. The decisions of the Constitutional Court of Romania are final and binding, therefore they cannot be analyzed in court – writes the Bucharest Court of Appeal in its argumentation document, which also specifies that, by annulling these elections, no civil and fundamental rights of citizens were violated, as provided for in the Constitution.

Visit to Bucharest of the Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy of the European Commission, Stéphane Séjourné

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu received, this week, the Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy of the European Commission, Stéphane Séjourné, with whom he discussed the status of the European economy, and the need to continue investing in common recovery and development. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu believes that, despite the current European and global economic challenges, the Romanian economy will develop, counting on the support of the European Commission in increasing the absorption of European funds and in protecting the living standards of Romanians. The European Commissioner also met with the President of the Senate, Ilie Bolojan. Also, together with the Minister of Economy, Bogdan Ivan, he visited the Romanian factory Prime Batteries Technology, which produces state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries and customized energy storage systems. The two also visited aerospace and jet engine research institutes, where they discussed the use of drones for civilian and military purposes, as well as the impact of global competition in this field. Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné stated that Bucharest is the first European capital he is visiting as part of a tour, the purpose of his visit being to support Romania’s industrial development and to underline the strategic importance of this sector.

Event organized in Washington to mark Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program

An event to mark Romania’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Program was prepared on Friday at the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, in the presence of the Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, Alejandro Mayorkas, and the Romanian Ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru. In Bucharest, Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu previously announced that Romanians will be able to travel without a visa to the United States starting in March, after the US authorities will update the ESTA electronic travel authorization platform. Thus, Romanian citizens will no longer have to undergo interviews at the US consulate. The travel authorization will be valid for two years, with an unlimited number of entries or exits from the US. The authorization can be used for visits of up to 90 days, and the cost is 21 US dollars, unlike the cost of issuing visas, which is 185 dollars. Romanians can still apply for American visas, which have the advantage of being valid for 10 years, and the duration of a trip is a maximum of six months. The head of diplomacy from Bucharest also highlighted the economic advantages of Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program. Beyond the improvement in the number of tourists, there will be more business trips, investors who travel more easily, which will lead to an increase in trade – says Emil Hurezeanu. As a result of the decision of the US federal government, Romania becomes the 43rd participant in the American visa waiver program.

Rating

The Fitch rating agency has changed Romania’s outlook from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’ on its long-term foreign currency credit rating. The assessment reflects the major risks Romania faces due to political instability, fiscal imbalances, and rising public debt, and could lead to higher interest rates on loans the Bucharest government intends to take from the foreign market. The new assessment was made public by the agency two months ahead of schedule, amid severe political instability in the country. Fitch analysts mention the additional political tensions that emerged on the political scene after the cancellation of the presidential elections on November 24, due to external interference, presumably Russian. They also write about the results of the December 1 election, which led to a fragmented Parliament, with a significant increase in the influence of the so-called anti-European and extremist parties (AUR, SOS Romania, and POT). Another reason for concern are the large deficits and the fiscal situation, which continues to deteriorate.

Politics

Meanwhile, the self-declared pro-European parties, PSD, PNL (former sworn enemies, but associated in government for three years, in the name of so-called stability and combating extremism), USR and UDMR (currently, in opposition), have not yet managed to agree on a new executive coalition, which would have a majority of over 60% in the Parliament inaugurated on December 20. USR blamed the sins of the past and the lack of appetite for reforms of the potential governing partners, and quickly left the negotiations. Offended, PSD announced that it was withdrawing from the combination, but that it would vote for a minority right-wing government. Without a government with full powers, the state budget for next year cannot be drawn up either. City halls cannot prepare their own budgets, and citizens will immediately feel the effects – warn local economic analysts.

Timișoara

In Timișoara (west), the 35th anniversary of the outbreak of the Revolution that led to the fall of communism in Romania was marked throughout the week. On December 16, 1989, parishioners gathered in front of the Reform parish to support pastor László Tőkés, who was threatened with eviction by the political police, the Securitate. Their protest turned into a popular uprising. The repression unleashed by the security forces resulted in over 100 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Timișoara became, on December 20, the first city free from communism in Romania, and from here the flame of the revolution spread throughout the country. Under the theme “35 years of freedom”, ample commemorative events were scheduled, dedicated to the martyred heroes, conferences, exhibitions, shows, concerts and film screenings. The inauguration of the Freedom Portal, a light installation that reproduces sounds from the Revolution, followed by the traditional march entitled “Heroes Never Die”, took place. Tuesday was a day of mourning, and on Friday the Rock for Revolution concert was scheduled.

Concert

Two Romanian musicians, violinist Diana Jipa and pianist Ştefan Doniga, performed for the first time in Antarctica. They played in front of over 70 people, researchers and staff from eight science stations. Their performance was the second largest musical event ever organized in that part of the world, after the 2013 concert of the famous rock band Metallica. The two musicians are also the first in the world to have managed to hold professional concerts on all seven continents in less than 100 days. The Romanian artists are now waiting for their performance to be endorsed by the book of world records.

Football

The main shareholder of the Rapid Bucharest football club, one of the most popular in Romania, businessman Dan Şucu, has also become the majority shareholder of the Italian club Genoa – the Series A group announced on its official website. The source states that, following a capital inection, of which 40 million euros were paid on December 14, the Board of Directors approved the offer of the Romanian investor. He subscribed to the entire capital increase, obtaining, in return, a stake in the share capital of about 77% in Genoa CFC and leaving the previous shareholders in the minority – the press release also shows. As president of the Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Şucu (61 years old) is a prominent figure in the Romanian economy. He is the founder of Mobexpert, the largest furniture brand in Romania, with over 2,200 employees. He is also involved in the real estate sector and in the media, with a key role in the business daily ”Ziarul Financiar”. Genoa is one of the traditional teams in Italian football. It holds nine Italian championship titles, the first won in 1898, and the last exactly a century ago, in the 1924 season. Rapid, in turn, is, closer to our times, a triple national champion – 1967, 1999 and 2003 –, having won the Romanian Cup 13 times and the Super Cup four times.

Constitutional Court of Romania cancels presidential elections

The Constitutional Court of Romania unanimously voted on Friday in favour of a ruling to cancel the entire election process for the presidential elections. The results of the first round of voting are annulled and the presidential elections will be resumed from the start, including the election campaign. “The election process to elect the president of Romania will be resumed entirely and the government will establish a new date for the election of the president of Romania, as well as a new timetable for the necessary actions”, the Court said in its ruling. The ruling is final and mandatory. Information initially circulated in the media that the Constitutional Court judges would meet on Friday in an informal meeting, to discuss whether they would hold an official meeting to debate the requests to cancel the first round of voting. Later, the judges officially ruled to cancel the presidential elections. The decision comes after the independent candidate Călin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round held on 24^th November. Georgescu was accused of benefiting from Russia’s interference with the election process, mainly through an aggressive and concerted manipulation campaign on TikTok. Georgescu was accused of pro-Russia and far right, fascist sympathies. The Supreme Council of National Defence declassified the intelligence received from the secret services and the relevant ministries relating to Călin Georgescu’s election campaign. The intelligence presented by the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Home Affairs indicates that funding for Călin Georgescu’s TikTok campaign amounted to 1 million euros, that actions by a state-sponsored cyber actor targeted IT&C support infrastructure for the election process and that Romania is a target of aggressive hybrid actions from Russia.

Romania hit by a cyber attack

A number of documents presented at a meeting of the Romanian Supreme Council for National Defence were declassified on Wednesday by president Klaus Iohannis. These include intelligence reports referring to the failure to comply with electoral advertising rules ahead of the first round of the presidential elections on 24^th November. The reports also indicate that an aggressive promotion campaign was conducted that eluded national election legislation and which made use of social media platforms in order to boost the popularity of Călin Georgescu. The increase in the number of accounts promoting him was not organic, and the activity of these accounts was allegedly coordinated by a state-sponsored actor, which used an alternative communication channel to spread the messages on TikTok. The report of the Romanian Intelligence Service also notes that Romania is a target for aggressive hybrid actions from Russia, including intelligence leaks and sabotage.

The General Prosecutor’s Office announced that it is opening a criminal investigation based on the information contained in the documents of the Supreme Council for National Defence. The inquiry concerns suspicion election crimes that may have influenced the voting process through methods such as corrupting voters, including online. The investigation also concerns money laundering crimes, in relation to the origin and use of the money used for the illegal financing of a candidate’s electoral campaign and computer crimes aimed at influencing voters.

Political uncertainty has affected the economy, with confidence among the business community and investors falling to fallen to pandemic levels, according to CFA Romania. The Stock Exchange opened in the red. In Washington, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the Romanian authorities have revealed a large-scale and well-financed Russian effort to influence the presidential elections. In response, Russia rejected the accusations, which it considers unfounded. In the context of the Romanian elections, the European Commission has intensified its monitoring of the TikTok platform, asking it to take steps to secure information related to all EU elections in order to study them in depth.

The results of the parliamentary elections 

The future Parliament from Bucharest resulting from the elections held on December 1, on Romania’s National Day, will be made up of seven political parties. The ruling Social Democratic Party got the most votes and therefore the largest number of seats in Parliament, followed by the sovereigntist Alliance for the Union of Romanians, which has doubled its vote share compared to previous elections four years ago. On the third and fourth places, respectively, are the National Liberal Party, which have been in power with the Social Democrats, and the centre-right Save Romania Union. Other parties that passed the minimum required threshold of 5% were the extremist and sovereignist S.O.S. Romania party, led by the controversial MEP Diana Șoșoacă, the newly established Young People’s Party (POT), led by a former member of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.

With the final results published, talks have begun to form a majority. On Wednesday evening, the pro-European parties, namely the Social Democrats, the Liberals, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, and the group of other national minorities, signed a joint resolution committing to form a coalition in the future Parliament. According to their leaders, this will be a coalition aimed at ensuring the country’s stability and modernisation and isolating the forces considered extremist.

Football hero passes away

Football hero Helmut Duckadam, who, together with his side Steaua Bucharest, won the European Champions Cup in 1986, passed away this week, at the age of 65. In the final against FC Barcelona on May 7 that year, Helmut Duckadam saved all four penalty kicks, an achievement which made its way into the Book of Records. Health problems forced him to give up football for good at only 27 years old. For ten years, Duckadam was in charge of public relations at FCSB, and President of Romania awarded him the Sports Merit Order.

The Gaudeamus Book Fair

For four days, Bucharest is playing host to the 31^st edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania. The fair brings together around 200 participants, thousands of titles, special offers and over 600 editorial events. The honorary president of this edition of the Gaudeamus Fair is Mircea Cărtărescu, one of the most well-known and appreciated contemporary Romanian writers and recipient of many national and international awards.

Elections with surprises and ruckus

The organization, in Romania, in a single year, of all types of elections – presidential, parliamentary, European Parliament and local, as well as three consecutive Sundays – November 24, December 1 and 8 – reserved for the election of the president and the Parliament represented, even if only theoretically, a real test for the authorities and society as a whole. After the first round of the presidential elections on November 24, the logistical challenges were overlaid, however, by a surprise of great proportions and a huge political and social scandal. Contrary to all predictions, in first place in the voting options of Romanians was the independent so-called ‘sovereignist’ Călin Georgescu, perceived as a pro-Russian extremist, followed by the USR (opposition) candidate, Elena Lasconi. She overtook the incumbent social-democratic prime minister Marcel Ciolacu by less than 3 thousand votes, after a night of upheaveal. What followed? Prime Minister Ciolacu resigned as PSD leader, as did Nicolae Ciucă, leader of the PNL (in co-government), after he came in fifth in Romanians’ voting options. The Constitutional Court, which was supposed to validate the first round result on Thursday, has requested a re-verification and recount of all ballots after receiving a complaint that votes obtained by a candidate who withdrew from the race in the last stretch, had been turned over to Elena Lasconi. The Constitutional Court’s decision was criticized by most of the candidates involved in the electoral competition, who warned that a possible cancellation of the November 24 election would generate tensions and instability. Meanwhile, also on Thursday, the Supreme Council for National Defense met, and found that cyber attacks had been carried out with the aim of influencing the fairness of the electoral process. At the same time, one of the candidates – a statement from the SCND also states – benefited from preferential treatment and massive exposure on TikTok. The Chinese-owned platform rejected the accusations that indirectly targeted Călin Georgescu, stating that most of the candidates campaigned on its platform, and those who won also campaigned on other digital platforms, as well as in traditional media. In turn, the Special Telecommunications Service reported that, for the organization of the November 24 election, proactive measures were implemented to prevent and counter cyber-security risks, and the IT systems functioned within optimal parameters.

Parliamentary elections as if on mute

The infernal “noise” after the first round of the presidential elections made the parliamentary election scheduled for December 1, on National Day, fade in importance. However, the vote of the Romanians is essential insofar as the configuration of the future legislature, as well as the formation of the Government, depends on its result. At the end of an electoral campaign until the morning of November 30, over 8,000 candidates from 31 parties and alliances and 19 national minority organizations hope to obtain the vote of the Romanians to enter Parliament. While the election in Romania takes place over a single day, Sunday, in almost 19,000 polling stations, Romanians abroad are expected to vote in 950 stations over two days: Saturday – November 30 and Sunday – December 1.

Referendum for Bucharest

Concurrently with the first round of the presidential elections on November 24, a referendum was also organized in Bucharest, desired by Mayor General Nicușor Dan. When asked whether they agreed with the General Council of the City Hall taking over the distribution of income taxes, local taxes, and duties by sectors, over 64% of Bucharest residents answered “Yes”. Currently, this distribution is made by the government and Parliament. Also, more than 66% of the capital’s residents agreed that the General Mayor should issue all building permits. Finally, to the third question of the referendum, proposed by the PSD, over 84% of Bucharest residents answered that they agree that City Hall should finance a program to combat drug use in schools. The turnout at the referendum was almost 41%. In order to be applied, the vote must be confirmed by the legislature.

Romanians and free movement

Bucharest welcomed the decision of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States of the European Union, which gave a favorable opinion on the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen Area and with land borders starting with January 1, 2025. The decision was taken unanimously in Brussels. The agreement will go to the Justice and Home Affairs Council for approval in mid-December. On the other hand, Romania has met the visa refusal rate criterion essential for qualifying for the Visa Waiver Program, which allows visa-free travel to the United States. The US State Department published the report according to which Romania has fallen below the 3% threshold imposed by US legislation. More specifically, this year, Romanians have submitted approximately 80,000 visa applications, of which US diplomatic offices have accepted a record number of over 78,000.

A new European Commission ready to begin work

The new European Commission received a favorable vote from the European Parliament on Wednesday. One of the vice-presidents of the executive, also led by Ursula von der Leyen, will be Romanian Roxana Mînzatu. The first initiative of the team she is part of will be the adoption of a strategic plan for the growth of the European economy and its competitiveness. In fact, Roxana Mînzatu will also indirectly coordinate this area, because she will deal with social policies and the professional training of European workers. She will also be responsible for the broader spectrum of preparing society for moments of crisis, which refers not only to wars or climate catastrophes, but also to the green transition, digitalization, and social problems. The new European Commission begins its term on December 1.

Romanians elect new president

The first voting station abroad for the first round of the Romanian presidential elections opened on Friday, at 12:00 local time, in Auckland, New Zealand. Australia, and Japan, and other countries in the region followed.

Voting abroad takes place over three days (November 22, 23 and 24). All Romanian citizens with the right to vote abroad, who have an identity card issued by the Romanian authorities and which is within the validity period, are expected to vote. Voting on Romanian territory is only on Sunday. About 19 thousand polling stations have been set up in the country and 950 abroad. There are 13 candidates remaining in the race for head of state. The decisive round of voting, which will be contested by the top two, is scheduled for December 8, a week after Romanians will also elect a new Parliament, on the 1st, which is also the national day,.

Epilogue to the Iohannis decade

Next month, President Klaus Iohannis will end his second and final five-year term granted to him by the Constitution. The joint plenary session of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies approved the establishment of a joint commission of inquiry to verify the expenses incurred by and for the Presidential Administration between 2014 and 2024. The commission is to establish the reasons that led to the secrecy of documents regarding the Presidential Administration’s expenses, as well as the legal basis on which this secrecy was established. At the same time, it will determine, among other things, the amounts paid for the rental of luxury private planes used during the president’s foreign and domestic trips, the expenses for paying for accommodation abroad under premium conditions, and with special amenities upon request, as well as the total number of foreign trips made by the president, and the total expenses for them.

F-35 for Romania

Bucharest’s decision to acquire advanced F-35 fighter jets represents an important step in the ongoing modernization of its military and will significantly contribute to NATO’s long-term defense and collective security. This is the message conveyed by the United States Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, at the launch of the Romanian Air Force’s transition program to the 5th generation aircraft, the F-35. The 32 aircraft for which the acquisition contract was signed, between the Romanian and American governments, represent the peak of aviation performance at this time – according to the Minister of Defense in the Bucharest government, Angel Tîlvăr.

Support for Chișinău

Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu paid an official visit to the neighboring Republic of Moldova, together with the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom, David Lammy.

The two were received by pro-Western President Maia Sandu and held trilateral consultations with her counterpart Mihai Popşoi. The discussions focused on long-term support for the stability and resilience of the Republic of Moldova, the reform agenda for the continuation of Chisinau’s European integration process, and the regional security situation in the context of the continued Russian aggression against Ukraine. Minister Odobescu also participated in the inauguration ceremony of the new building of the Mihai Eminescu Theoretical High School in Comrat (in the south, with a majority Gagauz population – ethnic Turks of Christian Orthodox confession – ed.). It was built with funding provided by the Government of Romania and the Ministry of Education in Chisinau. She emphasized that support for the education sector and for studies in Romanian represent investments in the European, democratic, and prosperous future of the Republic of Moldova.

The fictitious Russians from Vârfu Câmpului

The Prosecutor General’s Office ordered the detention of 12 people, most of them civil servants from the commune of Vârfu Câmpului and the town of Bucecea, in Botoşani County (north), accused of issuing fake Romanian identity documents for the benefit of citizens from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation in exchange for money. Those detained are accused of aggravated bribery, forgery, conspiracy to commit bribe taking, IT fraud, and conspiracy to bribery. Investigators discovered that in the commune of Vârfu Câmpului, which officially has around 7,000 inhabitants, there are around 10,000 citizens originally from the former Soviet space.

Football: Romania-Kosovo, 3-0 at the green table

The Romanian national football team won the match in Bucharest with Kosovo, in the League of Nations, with a score of 3-0, at the “green table” – announced the European Football Association (UEFA), the organizer of the competition. The match, clearly dominated by the Kosovars, marked by shoving between players and booing by fans, but lacking major incidents on the pitch or in the stands, should have ended in a few dozen seconds, at the score of 0-0, when the guests left the field without a plausible reason. After an interruption of about 70 minutes, the referee returned to the field and whistled the end of the match, in the presence of only the Romanian players. Following UEFA’s decision, Romania finished in first place in Group C2 of the Nations League, with 18 points out of a possible 18, and was promoted to League B. Along with Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Slovakia, Romania is among the European Union member states that have not recognized the independence of Kosovo, a former Serbian province with a majority Albanian population.