June 15, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 15.06.2025, 14:04
Politics. The next seven days are crucial for Romania’s political and economic life. On 20th June, the authorities must present the European Commission with a concrete plan to cut the budget deficit, with the mandate of the current interim government also coming to an end on that date. Under the circumstances, the negotiations to form a new cabinet are stalling, and the four pro-western parties that may enter government, namely the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, still divided on the name of the future prime minister and especially the fiscal and budget measures. They may have to agree on a prime minister next week, however, as Romania quickly needs someone with authority to take responsibility for unpopular but necessary measures to cut the deficit, said the Senate speaker, the leader of the Liberal Party, Ilie Bolojan. He warned that the country is in a difficult financial situation and the budget deficit saw record high figures last year, at 9.3% of GDP. In his opinion, no future government will be able to avoid raising taxes and duties. The Social Democrats also said the parties involved in the talks now more than ever need to refrain from conflict and adopt a constructive approach to finalise the package of fiscal and budget measures. The leader of the Save Romania Union, Dominic Fritz said all pro-European parties must accept that the Romanian state needs a slimming diet and drastically cut spending. More talks are expected between the leaders of the political parties and president Nicuşor Dan at the beginning of the week.
Education. The education ministry has invited the representatives of trade unions in the field for talks. The latter said they would go on a token strike on Wednesday, unhappy with the measures expected to be taken in order to reduce the budget deficit and which may also involve increasing teaching hours. The representatives of the biggest trade union organisations are expected at Cotroceni Palace on Monday morning, for talks with president Nicuşor Dan.
Israel-Iran conflict. The Romanian foreign ministry urges Romanian citizens in Israel or Iran to inform Romanian diplomatic missions in these countries on their presence there, owing to the security situation. Romanians are advised to monitor and strictly observe the instructions of the local authorities and stay in contact with airline companies for updated information on flights. Airports are closed in Iran and local sources say the train service has also been suspended. Overnight, Israel and Iran continued to exchange air strikes. Iran launched over 800 ballistic missiles and drones, and the Israeli emergency services said residential buildings were hit and that at least ten people were killed and several hundred wounded. Radio Romania’s correspondent to Israel said it is becoming clear that the Iranian authorities are targeting Israeli civilian, not military, areas. At the same time, the Israel Defence Forces have hit targets in Tehran, saying it struck buildings connected to Iran’s nuclear programme and its defence ministry. Israeli aircraft also hit fuel storage facilities near Tehran, and the targets caught fire.
Escalation. The ministry of foreign affairs in Bucharest expressed its concern about the escalation of the security situation in the Middle East and called for diplomatic efforts to find a verifiable negotiated solution with respect to Iran’s nuclear programme. The ministry said in a statement that it reiterated “Israel’s right to defend itself and protect its people” and that “regional security requires active diplomatic engagement”, adding: “Romania will continue to work with its partners and allies to contribute together to sustainable regional stability. We are making efforts throughout the entire region affected to ensure the security of Romanian citizens”.
Protests. Millions of people took to the streets on Saturday in almost 2,000 towns and cities across the United States to protest against the policies of president Donald Trump. The events were held under the No Kings motto, a reference to accusations about Trump’s authoritarian tendencies and his wish to become a king. In fact, the White House in February posted an image of Donald Trump wearing a crown with the caption “Long Live the King”. The protests were held on the same day as Washington hosted the biggest military parade in the US in recent decades marking 250 years since the establishment of the American army and seen by others a gift on Donald Trump’s 79’s birthday anniversary.
Volleyball. The Romanian national volleyball teams won matches in the Golden League. The men’s team leads their group, not having lost a match, after beating Spain 3-nil, while the women’s team are in second place after beating Azerbaijan 3-nil. The Romanian teams will today face Croatia away, in Zadar. (CM)
