April 7, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 07.04.2025, 13:55
A roundup of local and international news.
DISRUPTIONS – Railway traffic unfolded with difficulty on Sunday, due to unfavorable weather conditions, especially on the Iaşi (east) and Braşov (center) routes. Due to snowfall and strong wind, trees fell over power lines and caused temporary disruption of railway traffic in the affected areas. Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja announced increases in energy and gas consumption these days, but said that he was not expecting any supply problems in the context of the unusual winter episode, with low temperatures, strong wind and snowfall. Burduja said that approximately 2,400 consumers were left without electricity on Sunday evening, due to power line damage caused by fallen trees.
GAS – The Southern Corridor, through which Azerbaijani gas reaches Europe, has significantly changed the gas market on the continent and contributed to reducing dependence on Russian gas, but the Corridor needs to be expanded, especially to the Balkans and South-Eastern Europe, Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja wrote on Facebook. He participated in a ministerial meeting on this topic in Baku last week. Burduja says that the Neptun Deep Project in the Black Sea will consolidate Romania’s status as the largest natural gas producer in the European Union and a provider of energy security in the region.
ELECTION – The election campaign for the presidential race continues in Romania, until May 3, the day before the first round of voting. There are 11 candidacies submitted to the Central Election Bureau (BEC), four independent and seven backed by electoral parties or alliances. According to the Constitution, the President of Romania is elected by universal, equal, direct, secret and freely expressed vote. The candidate who obtains, in the first round of voting, the majority of the votes is declared winner. If none of the candidates obtains this majority, a second round of voting will be organized on May 18, between the first two candidates established based on votes obtained in the first round. The candidate who gets most votes in the second round is declared president.
ROYAL HOUSE – Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania , and Prince Radu, were received on Monday by the President of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking), Maia Sandu, on the occasion of the visit that the two are making to Chisinau. During the meeting, Maia Sandu thanked Princess Margareta for the support that the Royal House of Romania constantly provides to the Republic of Moldova in diplomatic terms. During Monday’s visit to Chisinau, Princess Margareta, and Prince Radu participated in the opening of the “Investments – Development – European Integration” Economic Forum and had a meeting with the Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Moldova, Anca Dragu.
MEASURES – The Romanian government announced that is preparing aid schemes for sectors that could suffer from the new customs tariffs imposed by the United States. The proposed measures will be discussed in detail with those affected, so as to minimize the impact of these tariffs on Romanian companies, according to Finance Minister Tánczos Barna. These are representatives of the Concordia Association, the largest employers’ organization in the country, and of ACAROM, which is the professional association in the automotive industry. Last year, Romanian companies exported products worth over two billion dollars to the United States, especially electrical and electronic appliances, steel and aluminum. The domestic car industry, which mostly supplies components for major German brands, is indirectly affected and many companies may have to reduce production and even restructure.
CULTURE – The Romanian Minister of Culture, Natalia Intotero, is participating, on Monday and Tuesday, in Warsaw, Poland, in an informal meeting with counterparts from the European Union, on the role of culture in strengthening European identity. Among the topics on the agenda are supporting young artists, protecting cultural heritage and defining a new strategic framework for European cultural policies, known as the ‘Cultural Compass’, according to a press release from the ministry. Natalia Intotero will advocate for the promotion of culture not only as a vector of identity, but also as an instrument of resilience and social cohesion, in a Europe affected by multiple crises. The meeting in Warsaw underlines the importance of European cooperation in the field of culture and Romania’s commitment to actively contribute to shaping the future of cultural policies at European level, the release also says. (EE)
