August 13, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 13.08.2025, 13:54
Meeting. Romanian president Nicuşor Dan is today taking part by video call in a meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, formed by EU and NATO member states supporting Ukraine in the war started by Russia. On Tuesday, he had a phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, reiterating Romania’s support for a fair and lasting peace, which cannot be built without Ukraine, without respecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity and without the Ukrainian people having the freedom to decide their future. The Romanian president assured his Ukrainian counterpart that together with its European and transatlantic partners, Romania will continue to support Ukraine for a safe, stable and democratic future in the region. Nicuşor Dan also accepted an invitation from president Zelensky to travel to Kyiv this autumn. On Friday, US president Donald Trump and Russia’s president Vladimir Putin will have talks in Alaska in a meeting considered crucial for the fate of the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine. A number of European leaders are today holding a video call with US president Donald Trump to try to convince him to defend Ukraine’s interests during his Friday meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Europeans, whom Trump promised to contact after talking to Putin, are afraid that the upcoming bilateral meeting will result in a bad deal for Ukraine, which has been fighting the invading Russian forces for three and a half years. On Tuesday, EU leaders with the exception of Hungary insisted on the need for Ukraine to have the freedom to decide its own future and emphasised that meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who has not been invited to the Alaska summit, has ruled out giving up territory as part of a peace agreement. The Russian forces have occupied around 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Inflation. The governor of the National Bank of Romania Mugur Isărescu on Tuesday presented the Bank’s quarterly report on inflation. The bank has revised its inflation forecast for the end of the year up to 8.8%, from 4.6% previously. According to the governor, the inflation rate will peak in September at 9.6-9.7%, but will fall below 3.5% towards the end of 2026, with a forecast of 3% at the end of next year. Isărescu also underlined that in order to avoid recession this year as a result of the government’s latest fiscal consolidation measures, Romania must step up its absorption of EU funds.
Job cuts. Trade unions in the administration have requested the government to withdraw its bill aiming to cut 40,000 jobs in local public administration. “This is the second wave of austerity measures prepared by the government after the package that came into effect on 1st August and which has led to VAT increases, adding a further burden on the population”, trade unions said in a statement. In another move, a bill on the withdrawal of pension funds from the privately administered Pillar II and which has attracted much controversy and fierce criticism, including from within the ruling coalition, has been postponed for autumn. The bill has been, however, postponed for the last 17 years, and is now a condition for Romania’s admission into the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The version backed by the Authority for Financial Supervision stipulates that on retirement, contributors cannot withdraw all their money, but only up to 25%, and the rest in equal amounts for the next 10 years.
Expo 2025 Osaka. Foreign minister Oana Ţoiu on Tuesday gave a symbolic prize by video call to visitor no. 500,000 to the Romanian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. The recipient is a 27-year-old woman and the prize consists of traditional objects made by Romanian artisans, each piece encapsulating something of Romanian cultural heritage and national identity. The event was a significant moment, thus confirming the success of Romania’s participation in the biggest international public diplomacy event of the year, says a foreign ministry statement. The Romanian Pavilion is one of the most popular at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Film. The picturesque Danube Delta village of Sfântu Gheorghe is hosting the 22nd edition of the Anonimul International Film Festival. The outdoor screening of the opening film, Jeunes mères, the latest work from the Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, was attended by over 4,000 spectators. The festival consists of two short film competitions, for Romanian and international productions, and a feature film competition, as well as screenings out of competition. It will come to an end on 17th August. (CM)
