July 13, 2025 UPDATE (2)
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 13.07.2025, 20:00
JUDGES – Three new Constitutional Court judges were sworn in on Sunday at Cotroceni Palace, the headquarters of the Presidential Administration. The ceremony took place in the presence of president Nicuşor Dan, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, the other members of the Constitutional Court and the leaders of the Parliament in Bucharest. The constitutional judges, whose mandates start today, are Mihai Busuioc – appointed by the Senate and supported by the Social Democratic Party, Csaba Asztalos – voted by the Chamber of Deputies at the proposal of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, and Dacian Cosmin Dragoş – appointed at the proposal of president Nicușor Dan. Shortly after being sworn in, the judges elected Elena-Simina Tănăsescu as president of the Constitutional Court for a mandate of three years. The Constitutional Court comprises nine judges appointed for a nine-year mandate that cannot be extended or renewed. Of these, three judges are proposed by the Chamber of Deputies, three by the Senate and three by the President of Romania. The position of Constitutional Court judge is incompatible with any other public or private position, with the exception of teaching positions in higher education institutions.
MOTION – Parliament is convening in an extraordinary session on Monday to debate and vote the motion of no-confidence filed by the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) against the cabinet led by Ilie Bolojan. 131 MPs from opposition parties are backing this initiative after the Romanian government assumed responsibility in Parliament for the first package of fiscal measures designed to reduce the budget deficit. They claim, among other things, that the measures will cause an economic recession and trigger a decrease in the standard of living, and that the cost of austerity measures will be borne only by simple taxpayers. In response, Ilie Bolojan said the measures have already produced effects: Romania’s perspective has improved on international markets and interest rates for loans have gone down, whereas rating agencies also had a positive feedback. For Parliament to withdraw the confidence of the Bolojan cabinet, at least 233 votes are required, and the parties that make up the ruling coalition rest on a comfortable majority. If the motion is dismissed, then the tax package will be considered adopted. In that event, AUR announced that it will challenge the tax package at the Constitutional Court.
CONGRESS – Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was officially elected president of the National Liberal Party in a special party Congress held on Saturday in Bucharest. In his message to his colleagues, Bolojan said that the National Liberal Party must reinvent itself to meet the expectations of citizens, drawing attention to the fact that Romanians will judge the party in light of its decisions and actions. Among his objectives as head of the party and of the government Ilie Bolojan mentioned good governance, reducing waste, eliminating injustice and regaining citizens’ trust. Ilie Bolojan recently announced that the Government is already working on a second package of fiscal measures designed to reduce Romania’s budget deficit, the largest in the European Union. The package of measures includes the reform of state-owned enterprises, the reform of special pensions and public administration, the reduction of waste in healthcare and the improvement of revenue collection. The administration in Bucharest is considering the implementation of three such packages of fiscal measures. The first entered into force on July 1, and the third is scheduled for January 1, 2026. According to the international rating agency Moody’s, Romania’s fiscal deficit could reach 7.8% of GDP this year and 6.1% in 2026, if the three packages of measures announced by Ilie Bolojan are fully implemented. Romania’s budget deficit at the end of 2024 stood at 9.3%.
VISIT – The president of Romania, Nicuşor Dan, will pay an official visit to Germany on Friday, July 18, where he will meet with his counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Later, Nicuşor Dan will have a meeting with Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Talks will focus on bilateral relations, European and security policy aspects. This year, Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany mark 145 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Germany is Romania’s largest trade partner, holding a share of 19.82% of total foreign trade, respectively 20.95% in exports and 18.98% in imports.
US TARIFFS – The European Commission has decided to postpone until August the application of reciprocal trade tariffs on certain US products, hoping to reach an agreement with the United States on the issue of 30% customs duties announced by the Washington administration. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, explained that the EU wants to continue working to obtain a trade agreement with the US, but warned that Europe will take all necessary steps to protect its interests and is ready to adopt proportionate measures if necessary. The first set of European tariffs, expected to apply to products exported by the United States to the European Union worth approximately €21 billion euros, should have come into force on Monday. However, the European Commission has two sets of response measures at the ready. The second would have an impact of almost €95 billion. This week, US President Donald Trump warned 23 of the USA’s trade partners that he will impose tariffs between 20% and 50% starting August 1. (VP)
