December 1, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 01.12.2025, 20:00
NATIONAL DAY Military parades and religious ceremonies took place across the country on Romania’s National Day. The largest was in Bucharest, where over 3,000 troops with 220 vehicles marched under the Arch of Triumph in front of more than 10,000 people. They were joined by 240 foreign soldiers, from units from France, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the US, as well as soldiers from Allied countries contributing to NATO structures on Romanian territory. In Alba Iulia, the city of the Great Union, National Day celebrations took place in a rather tense atmosphere, with thousands of supporters of sovereigntist parties in opposition and of the former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu holding parallel marches, forcing through gendarme cordons and chanting anti-government slogans. However, over 20,000 people watched the military parade in which more than 1,000 troops participated. December 1, 1918 saw the establishment of the Romanian unified nation state. At the end of World War I, the provinces of Transylvania, Banat, Bukovina and Bessarabia, inhabited mainly by Romanians and previously under the authority of the Austro-Hungarian and Tsarist empires, became part of the Kingdom of Romania. To mark this historic moment, the national flag was hoisted in all military institutions in the country, and on board sea and river vessels.
MESSAGES The US president Donald Trump emphasizes, in a message on Romania’s National Day, the close bilateral relationship and the strategic role of our country in the Black Sea region. The White House leader says the economic relationship between the two countries has potential for growth and appreciates Romania’s contribution to regional security and within NATO. The French president Emmanuel Macron also sent a congratulation message, in which he mentions security as the central point of the bilateral relationship. “France is a reliable, steadfast ally in the defence of NATO’s eastern flank and the territory of Romania,” said the French president. In turn, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy appreciates our country’s firm position in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression, and mentions the dynamic nature of Romanian-Ukrainian relations. A message also came from the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, in which she emphasises the importance of December 1, 1918, a moment that opened the way to peace, freedom and democracy for the Romanian people more than a century ago. These values, Maia Sandu continues, are currently threatened by a tense international situation, which is why the responsibility of the current generation is a major one. Similar messages also came from King Charles of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Emperor Naruhito of Japan.
PARLIAMENT The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies convene in a joint session on Tuesday, December 2, so that the government led by PM Ilie Bolojan can take responsibility for the draft law on the retirement of magistrates, after the amended text of the document was passed on Friday in a special government meeting. Until then, MPs can still submit amendments to this bill. The document provides, among other things, for at least 35 years of work as a prerequisite for retirement, the gradual increase of the retirement age to 65, and pension benefits that should not exceed 70% of the last net salary. Accessing European funding, addressing some imbalances and a sustainable pension system are 3 of the reasons for the passing of the document by the government. The document can be obstructed by a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet, submitted within 3 days of taking responsibility.
POPULATION Romania’s population is expected to shrink by 18% by 2080, accounting for a decrease by almost 3.4 million people compared to the current level, the National Statistics Institute says. The INS research paper called “Projected active population of Romania by the year 2080” looks at 3 scenarios. The most pessimistic one is based on fertility and mortality rates similar to those of last year, and indicates a drastic decrease in population, by almost 4.7 million people. The most optimistic scenario sees the population drop by only 1.9 million people. The average case, which speaks of a decline of 3.4 million people, is seen as the most likely hypothesis in the current social-economic conditions. A regional analysis indicates substantial differences, with the regions of Oltenia (southwest) and Muntenia (southeast) expected to see the most significant decreases, and with more balanced dynamics in Bucharest-Ilfov, the northeast and the centre of the country. On January 1, 2025, the population of Romania residing in the country was slightly more than 19 million people. (AMP)
