December 16, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 16.12.2025, 13:55
Summit. Speaking before a EU summit of countries on NATO’s eastern flank, Romanian president Nicuşor Dan said he was pessimistic about Russia’s intention of signing a peace deal in the coming period. “What’s important is for us to provide Ukraine with the capability to have her back covered during its ongoing negotiations. This means the financial capability to further support the war, as well as security guarantees for the immediate aftermath of the war”, the president said. The summit in Helsinki also tackles the Union’s support for the eastern flank states, including Romania, and the security situation in the region and strategic coordination amid the tensions generated by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Also today, the Romanian president will travel to Espoo to visit one of the most important European applied research centres. After Finland, president Dan will travel to the UK, according to the president’s office. Tonight, he will meet members of the Romanian community in the UK and on Wednesday Romanian representatives of the business community in the UK and representatives of British companies.
Motion. The government on Monday survived a no-confidence motion over its economic policies and reform plans. The coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania has survived six no-confidence motions since coming to power six months ago, most of them over its tax increases and spending cuts to reduce the highest budget deficit in the European Union and preserve Romania’s investment rating. The four parties in the coalition struggled to agree on the reform measures and the 2026 budget plan has been postponed for January. Also on Monday, the Senate passed a simple motion against environment minister Diana Buzoianu over a water crisis in the south of the country, but the move does not imply the dismissal of the minister in question, as in the case of a no-confidence motion. The Social Democratic MPs voted in favour of the motion. Diana Buzoianu said she would not resign.
Revolution. Events to commemorate the victims of the 1989 anti-communist Revolution and pay tribute to those who fought for freedom 36 years ago are today getting under way in Timişoara, in western Romania. Various activities are held for the next five days in remembrance of the events that began in the city and which eventually led to the fall of the communist regime. The local State Opera is hosting exhibitions, book launches, concerts and the screening of a film about the Revolution, with moments of silence held every evening. A march under the motto “Heroes never die” will also take place.
Ukraine. The Netherlands will host an International Claims Commission on Ukraine, whose aim will be to validate war reparations claims that will at some point be paid by Russia, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said on Tuesday. Van Weel said the commission’s main purpose is to settle claims and will not provide Ukraine with a direct guarantee that the damages will be reimbursed. European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, met in The Hague on Tuesday to launch the commission. In parallel with the one-day conference co-hosted by the Netherlands and the 46-nation Council of Europe, US-backed peace efforts are ongoing aimed at putting an end to the war. Russian officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the plan, but have repeatedly rejected accusations that Russian forces committed war crimes during the conflict. The possible inclusion of an amnesty for wartime atrocities in a peace deal, a p[possibility the Trump administration at some point has mentioned, could complicate Europe’s plans to compensate victims of abuses in Ukraine, from sexual violence and child deportations to the destruction of religious sites, Reuters notes.
Corruption. Former transport minister Alexandru-Răzvan Cuc has been brought in for questioning to the National Anticorruption Directorate, following searches at his residence as part of a case involving bribery and complicity to bribery. According to judicial sources cited by AGERPRES, the value of the bribe in this case is estimated at 6% of a framework contract of worth around 4.6 million euros. The investigations look into allegations relating to the signing of a ministry contract in exchange for a bribe worth over 250,000 euros. (CM)
