July 9, 2025 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 09.07.2025, 20:00

Motion. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a sovereignist opposition party, has filed a motion of no confidence against the Romanian government after obtaining the necessary number of signatures to initiate the process. The opposition in Bucharest says it cannot accept the austerity law proposed by the executive and considers that the parties in the governing coalition are solely responsible for the current budgetary situation. The text of the motion of no confidence states that the measures proposed by the executive will cause recession and a decline in living standards. The signatories to the document believe that inflation will rise and that the cost of austerity will be paid only by entrepreneurs, employees and pensioners. The leader of the AUR group in the Chamber of Deputies, Mihai Enache, said that the opposition does not have the votes necessary for the motion to be adopted. For the government led by Ilie Bolojan to be dismissed, the motion must gather 233 votes, representing half plus one of the number of MPs. However, if the document is rejected by vote, then the package of fiscal measures is considered adopted and its application becomes mandatory. In this situation, AUR has indicated that it intends to challenge the fiscal package for which the government has assumed responsibility in Parliament before the Constitutional Court.

Measures. The Romanian government is taking new measures to reduce spending in an effort to cut the record budget deficit in the European Union. The head of the executive, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, has sent a memorandum to ministries and institutions under their authority or coordination, requesting a reduction in foreign travel in order to make savings. He also wants each foreign trip to be carefully analysed to determine whether it is strictly necessary for the fulfilment of institutional duties, the achievement of the objectives set out in the government programme, and the promotion and defence of Romania’s interests. Furthermore, the duration of these trips and the number of people in the delegations must be strictly limited to the minimum necessary to achieve the objectives of the visit. At the same time, the relevant ministries are also required to send a memorandum for approval to the Prime Minister and the General Secretariat of the Government at least five days before the start of each trip.

Protests. The ‘SpiruHaret’ Federation of Education Trade Unions and the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education (FSLI) have organized joint protests in Bucharest on 9, 10, 14 and 15 July in front of the headquarters of the government, parliament and political parties. The common goals of the confederations are to protect workers, incomes and working conditions, to promote a true social dialogue, and to support a fair tax model. The protests follow the government’s adoption of a first set of fiscal measures aimed at reducing the excessive budget deficit. The finance minister AlexandruNazare presented this set on Tuesday at the meeting of the Council for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Union (ECOFIN Council). A second set of fiscal measures will be posted for public review by the end of this month, and the measures include, according to PM IlieBolojan, reforms targeting the special pensions received by certain professional categories, state-owned companies, central and local administration. Another priority to improve the spending of EU funds.

Ukraine. Romania’s PM Ilie Bolojan had a telephone conversation on Tuesday evening with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, about Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, its impact on the infrastructure and civilian population, as well as its regional and global effects. The Romanian official reiterated Romania’s support for Ukraine and the commitment to carry it on, including support for Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Ilie Bolojan also welcomed Kyiv’s efforts to achieve a just and sustainable peace, reads a news release sent to AGERPRES. The Romanian PM voiced his appreciation for the sacrifices made by the Ukrainian troops on the front and for the efforts of the Ukrainian administration in general. Ilie Bolojan also emphasised the importance of protecting the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine and the need for an open and efficient dialogue on this topic.

Chisinau. Romania has banned the mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, and two other Moldovan citizens from entering the country for reasons of national security, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest. The Romanian diplomatic response comes after ‘Ziarul de Gardă’, a publication from across the Prut River, wrote that the mayor of the Moldovan capital had been banned from entering Romania and the entire Schengen Area for a period of five years, citing official Romanian sources. In a statement on Facebook, the ‘Alternativa’ bloc, of which Ion Ceban’s party is a member, wrote that the mayor had been banned from entering the European Union at the behest of the Moldovan authorities. Ion Ceban began his political career in the Communist Party in 2011. A year later, he joined the Party of Socialists, led by former pro-Russian president Igor Dodon, and became its ideological secretary and promoter of anti-EU messages. In 2014, he opposed the association agreement with the European Union and supported the referendum in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia on joining the Eurasian Customs Union, led by Russia. In 2021, Ion Ceban left the Socialist camp and launched the National Alternative Movement, declaring himself pro-European. However, the United States has placed Ceban’s party among the entities through which the Russian Federation is attempting to influence the political situation in the Republic of Moldova.

MCM BS TG. Romania has taken over command of the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group (MCM BS TG) for six months, to which the naval forces of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey contribute. Command of the task group was taken over from the Bulgarian partners during a ceremony held in the Port of Constanța. Present at the ceremony, Minister of National Defence Ionuț Moșteanu said that the naval group’s mission was essential to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. During the mission, there will be two activations, during which the ships in the group will participate in international exercises in the Black Sea. The Romanian Naval Forces will participate with the mine and net layer ‘Vice Admiral Constantin Bălescu’ – 274, which will be the flagship of the naval group, and with the mine hunter ‘Second Lieutenant Ion Ghiculescu’ – M-270, while the Bulgarian and Turkish Naval Forces will each contribute a ship with anti-mine capabilities. The main mission of MCM Black Sea TG is to ensure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea waters through surveillance missions, actions to neutralise potential hazards to maritime traffic, and related search and rescue activities at sea.

Festival. A new edition of “Beach, Please! Festival” takes place until Sunday in the Romanian Black Sea coast resort of Costineşti. Over 200 artists will be perform, including international artists such as ASAP Rocky, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Peso Pluma, Yeat and Ken Carson. Taking place on a 21-hectare plot in the heart of Costineşti, the 2025 edition boasts the largest stage ever set up in Europe, the most powerful sound system implemented on the continent and a production on par with the largest festivals in the US. (MI)