December 6, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 06.12.2025, 13:50
ST. NICHOLAS – Today, Christians celebrate Saint Nicholas, one of the most loved saints, to whom the tradition of giving gifts to children is linked. Saint Nicholas, also known as Nicholas of Myra, is a revered Christian saint in both the Eastern and Western Churches, celebrated for his extraordinary generosity, compassion, and miraculous deeds. He serves as a powerful model of Christian charity and is the historical inspiration for the modern figure of Santa Claus. Nicholas was a 4th-century Greek bishop of Myra, a city in modern-day Turkey. He was born to wealthy, devout Christian parents who died when he was young, leaving him a large inheritance which he used for helping the needy. He lived during the Roman Empire’s persecution of Christians and was imprisoned and tortured for his faith under Emperor Diocletian before being released under Constantine the Great. The Saint’s relics are kept in Bari, Italy, and in Bucharest, at the Church of Saint George-New, where his right hand was brought in the 16th century. In Romania, almost 800,000 people celebrate their name day today.
GAUDEAMUS – Meetings with writers and the promotion of cultural and educational projects continue in Bucharest, at the Gaudeamus Book Fair organized by Radio Romania. Today, on the penultimate day of its 32nd edition, no less than 200 publishing events have been scheduled. Over 180 participants are present at Gaudeamus, including all the prestigious publishing houses in the country, Romanian and foreign book distribution agencies, university publishing houses and higher education institutions or music distributors. Access is free of charge.
REFORM – The Bucharest government approved, on Friday, by memorandum, a first list of 17 state-owned companies that will enter a reform process, at the end of which it will be determined which of them is to be reorganized or liquidated. The announcement was made, in a press conference, by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. He specified that among these companies are the national air transport company Tarom, Metrorex – which operates the Bucharest metro, the Romanian Railway Company – CFR and the companies Electrocentrale Craiova (south) and Bucharest. Bolojan specified that Romania does not only have to meet the milestones set out in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), but also has a legitimate interest in large state-owned companies being managed as well as possible.
ELECTION – On Sunday, Romania will hold by-elections for the positions of president of the Buzău County Council (southeast), mayor of Bucharest and mayor of 12 localities in the country. In the capital, almost 1,800,000 people are expected to vote to elect the future mayor-general, after Nicuşor Dan became president of the country in May. There are 15 candidates in the race, 11 of whom are supported by political parties and an electoral alliance, and 4 are independents.
DEFENSE – German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will visit the 57th Air Base in Mihail Kogălniceanu, southeast Romania, on Tuesday. Discussions with Romanian officials will focus on bilateral defense cooperation, joint projects and regional security developments. The German official’s visit demonstrates his country’s constant commitment to Romania’s security and to strengthening cooperation within NATO, the Romanian Defense Ministry said.
PARTNERSHIP – Romania and Switzerland have signed a partnership to increase disaster response capacity. Romanian pilots from the General Inspectorate of Aviation and the Ministry of Interior will be trained in mountain rescue, low-altitude and night flying, with the techniques used in Switzerland being adapted to the specific conditions in Romania. In parallel, measures will be initiated at the national level to improve the legislative framework regarding volunteering and increase civic involvement in emergency situations.
FOOTBALL – The Romanian national team could play in Group D at the 2026 World Cup if it qualifies, and its opponents would be the United States, Paraguay and Australia – according to the draw made on Friday in Washington. The Romanian squad will meet Turkey, away, on March 26, in the semifinals of the World Cup play-off. If they get past the Turks, the Romanians will play, also away, on March 31, in the play-off final with the winner of Slovakia and Kosovo. The 2026 World Cup, the first with 48 teams, will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, between June 11 and July 19. The opening match will be see Mexico against South Africa, on June 11, in Mexico City. (EE)
