December 24, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 24.12.2025, 13:55
Security forces deployed for the Christmas mini-holiday
Some 23,000 employees of Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (police officers, gendarmes, firefighters, emergency service personnel and border police) will be deployed every day during the Christmas mini-holiday, according to Interior Ministry spokesperson Monica Dajbog. An average of 2,000 traffic police officers will monitor roads that typically become congested during such periods to ensure smooth traffic flow and assist motorists. They will deploy approximately 400 radar devices to detect drivers who pose a threat to traffic participants. Monica Dajbog noted that police officers will continue operations during these days to prevent and combat illegal trade in dangerous pyrotechnic articles.
For the roughly 10,000 public events organized during this period, which could draw nearly one million people, police and gendarmes will be mobilized to prevent incidents that could affect citizens’ safety. Supporting citizens spending the mini-holiday in the mountains, approximately 170 mountain gendarmes will be ready to intervene daily.
Also during the Christmas mini-holiday, approximately 3,300 border police will be mobilized to protect borders, prevent cross-border crime and ensure smooth control at Romania’s external borders.
Traditional Christmas messages
In his Christmas Pastoral Letter, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church says that in contemporary society, marked by “secularization or spiritual indifference”, there is an increasing need for renewal of every Christian’s calling “to be a messenger or apostle of Christ’s merciful love in the world”. According to the Patriarch, the Lord Jesus Christ took on human form precisely so that people would continually turn their faces toward Him. “Let us remember in our prayers all Romanians who find themselves among strangers, far from the Country, so that we may preserve unity of faith and nation”, the Patriarch said.
In turn, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bucharest, Aurel Percă, emphasizes that a world which excludes God “sinks into darkness, confusion and selfishness”. According to him, Christmas is also a clear call to defend the life and dignity of every person, as well as care for the most vulnerable.
“Peace is missing first from people’s hearts and, precisely for this reason, it is also missing from the world in which we live”, Cardinal Claudiu, First-Archbishop of the Romanian Eastern-Catholic Church, also said in his Christmas message. “May the Lord help us so that, in this wonderful celebration, peace may descend into our hearts as well, and Christ’s peace may be the most precious gift we find under the tree”, Cardinal Claudiu said.
CSM Survey: public campaign against the justice system
The Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) has published partial results of a survey among magistrates about problems in the justice system. Over 56% of those in office responded to the questions. The online survey included 20 questions, of which 17 permitted answers that can be automatically compiled, while three questions allowed open responses. Over 98% of judges who completed the survey say they have felt targeted by a public campaign against the justice system in the past year, and 67% of them agree with CSM’s public positions.
Compiled data shows that 192 judges were replaced from panels judging certain cases, 31 of them without having given their consent. A single judge assessed that the change was made with the purpose of prolonging proceedings until the expiration of the statute of limitations for criminal liability. Most judges attributed the prescription issue to Parliament, though the questionnaire does not explain why. According to data presented by CSM, judges overwhelmingly assessed that the high volume of activity and lack of workload standards represent real problems that directly affect justice proceedings.
Romanian language, culture and history – academic subjects in Pakistan
Romania’s Embassy in Pakistan, jointly with the Romanian Language Institute and the National University of Modern Languages, has inaugurated the first academic presence of Romanian Studies in Pakistan. This landmark initiative opens a new academic and cultural corridor between South Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. The inauguration ceremony took place in Islamabad.
The event marks the first-time introduction of Romanian language and literature, Romanian cultural studies in Pakistan’s most important multilingual academic environment. The Romanian Studies Program goes beyond a simple language course. It creates an interdisciplinary academic space that integrates linguistic training, literature, translation, history and cultural studies, positioning Romania in broader European and South Asian intellectual exchange. Students are invited not only to learn the Romanian language but also to explore a cultural landscape shaped by historical crossroads, memory, creativity and resilience.
The Romanian Studies Program will be coordinated by Oana Ursache, PhD in philology, specialized in comparative literature, culture studies and Hispanic, Oriental, pre-Columbian and Arab literatures. On the sidelines of the inauguration, Romania’s Embassy donated to the National University of Modern Languages a collection of books, comprising volumes in Romanian and English dedicated to Romanian culture, history, civilization, art and literature.
Government adopts new emergency decree
The government in Bucharest has adopted an emergency decree that corrects, eliminates or introduces new fiscal-budgetary measures starting 2026, which will serve as the basis for next year’s budget planning. Expenditure cuts, economic recovery measures, boosting private investment, support for disadvantaged persons and combating tax evasion are among the main provisions. Initial consultations for developing the state budget for 2026 will take place in January, and the deficit target for next year will stand at around 6-6.5%. (VP)
