April 17, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 17.04.2025, 20:00
EASTER Romanian Orthodox clergy Thursday attended a solemn Chrism Mass celebrated outdoors, on the summer altar of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, to bless the oils that will be used in the Chrism Sacrament and the consecration of churches. In the Christian Orthodox tradition, the blessing of the oils can only occur in a self-governed church, which is not canonically affiliated to another ecclesiastical structure. 2025 marks 140 years since the Romanian Orthodox Church has been self-governed and 100 years since it has a Patriarchate. The Chrism Mass is celebrated by Patriarch Daniel, in the presence of the other members of the Holy Synod. This year all Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on April 20.
EASTER BREAK Around 24,600 employees of the Romanian interior ministry will be mobilised every day to streamline traffic, ensure rapid response in emergency situations, prevent and combat illegal actions and save lives during the Easter break. “Interior ministry personnel will be monitoring 14,150 places of worship where religious services will be held, attended by approximately 2,332,000 people”, the interior ministry spokesperson Monica Dajbog said. In order to prevent fires and other emergencies, fire-fighters have recently inspected churches, accommodation units and other sites that are crowded during the holidays. In April alone, over 1,500 such inspections were carried out to check compliance with fire prevention measures, and fines totalled approximately €1 million. Over 1,600 traffic police officers will be on duty on busy roads. Patrol units will operate with approximately 400 radar devices and devices that detect alcohol or prohibited substance users who threaten road safety.
LEGISLATION A draft law regulating magistrates’ pensions, currently under review in the Chamber of Deputies, has received a negative opinion from the Higher Council of Magistrates. The Council says the law has the potential to seriously undermine the functioning of the judicial system, mainly by affecting human resources. The ruling coalition wants to pass this law swiftly in order to unlock the third instalment of funds under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. The document provides, among other things, that the retirement age for magistrates should increase gradually to 65 by 2045.
MOLDOVA The only way for the Republic of Moldova to secure a future in peace and freedom is to join the European Union, Moldova’s president Maia Sandu said in a plenary session of the Parliament in Chişinău. She said that the Republic of Moldova is facing domestic and foreign challenges, in the context of an uncertain world order, diplomatic and trade conflicts and the brutal war that the Russian Federation is waging in Ukraine. Sandu emphasised that EU accession must take place “in the next four years”. Among the biggest threats to national security, the Moldovan official listed the Russian army, illegally stationed in Transnistria, disinformation, hate speech and Russia’s pawns, including those in the Parliament in Chişinău. She stressed that security can be ensured through strong partnerships with the neighbouring Romania and Ukraine. She stated that the strategic partnership with Romania is stronger than ever, that Bucharest is the strongest advocate of the Moldova’s cause in the EU and the number one trading partner of the Moldovan state.
NEGOTIATIONS The US secretary of defence Marco Rubio and the US president’s envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Paris on Thursday, where they were received by the French president Emmanuel Macron. The meeting focused on the peace negotiations in Ukraine and followed successive consultations between the presidents of France and the United States, as well as the work within the so-called Coalition of the Willing, co-chaired by France and UK, in support of Ukraine. At the end of the meeting, a new series of talks is planned, in a broader format, with a Ukrainian delegation led by the head of the presidential administration and president Zelenskyy’s top aide, Andriy Yermak. Given that the US and Europe do not share the same views on the conflict in Ukraine, this diplomatic marathon aims to harmonise positions, president Macron’s advisers said.
MEASURES The budget of the National Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) in Romania has been supplemented by some €10 million to support efforts to prevent the incidence of foot-and-mouth disease. The funds will be used to purchase vaccines, finance lab tests and cover veterinarian expenses. The Authority emphasises that, at present, Romania is recognised as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease, and maintaining this status is vital for intra-community and international trade in livestock and animal products to continue. Ten outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have been confirmed in Hungary and Slovakia, and additional prevention and control measures have been taken in Romania.
COMMEMORATION Romanian troops who died in the line of duty on the Western Front in World War II will be commemorated between April 22 and 28 in 4 cemeteries of honour in the country and abroad, the Romanian defence ministry announced. The events will take place at the Cemetery of Honour of Romanian World War II Heroes in Oarba de Mureş, at the Romanian Heroes Plot of Honour in Budapest, Hungary, at the Romanian Heroes Cemetery of Honour in Zvolen, Slovakia, and at the Romanian Heroes Plot of Honour in the Central Cemetery in Brno, the Czech Republic. The ceremonies will be attended, among others, by members of the Romanian Parliament, the Defence General Staff, the National Office for the Cult of Heroes, the Joint Logistics Command and 4 soldiers wounded in theatres of operations, along with 12 military students.
OECD Last year, Romania provided official development assistance totalling $587 million, the highest level to date, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported on Wednesday. The main beneficiary of the assistance provided by Romania last year was the Republic of Moldova, with over 50% of the total bilateral official development assistance actions ($76.6 million). Romania’s constant cooperation with Ukraine, the Western Balkans, Africa and the Middle East continued in 2024, in accordance with the objectives laid out in the 2024-2027 Multiannual Strategic Programme of International Cooperation for Development and Humanitarian Assistance. Romania also contributed to the effort to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, taking part in actions in close coordination with its international partners to evacuate and provide medical treatment to Palestinian civilians in hospitals in Romania. (AMP)
