June 20, 2025 UPDATE (I)
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 20.06.2025, 18:48
Prime Minister. PNL leader Ilie Bolojan has been appointed by Romanian President Nicuşor Dan to serve as prime minister. “Ilie Bolojan is the most suitable person to make the necessary adjustments to the Romanian state apparatus. He has proven that he knows how to streamline spending, has a vision for development and will have a partner in me,” said Nicuşor Dan. The president thanked the pro-European parliamentary parties for their efforts to identify solutions for forming the new government and restoring the country’s financial balance by reducing the excessive budget deficit. He pointed out that it is in Romania’s interest for the government to be supported by a solid majority, given that the urgent priority for Romania is economic recovery on a solid basis. “I am aware of the great responsibility I am taking on, given the difficult situation our country finds itself in as a result of the prolonged budget crisis. Starting this afternoon, I will continue discussions with political parties to secure a parliamentary majority, finalise the government and the government programme,” said the prime minister-designate. He said he would pursue three directions: putting the country’s finances in order, creating conditions for development in Romania and gaining the respect of Romanians.
Negotiations. Prime Minister-designate Ilie Bolojan held separate talks on Friday afternoon with PSD President Sorin Grindeanu, USR President Dominic Fritz, and the leader of the National Minorities Group in Parliament, Varujan Pambuccian, on the formation of the future governing coalition and its political program. All the leaders of the pro-European parties are scheduled to meet again with the prime minister-designate to finalize all outstanding issues and set the timetable for the appointment of the new executive, according to political sources. If the political agreement is finalized on Friday, the new executive led by Ilie Bolojan could be sworn in on Tuesday at the Cotroceni Palace in front of President Nicuşor Dan. The same political sources also said that measures to reduce the budget deficit will be adopted in an extraordinary session of Parliament at the end of July, and that some of them will be applicable starting August 1, and others as of January 1, 2026. As for the rotation of government between the PNL and PSD, this is expected to take place in the summer of 2027.
ECOFIN. The state secretary in the Romanian finance ministry Alin Andrieş attended in Luxembourg on Friday a meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council. The agenda included the application of the economic governance framework and the Council’s recommendations in the context of the excessive deficit procedure. The Romanian official said he would present no plan of fiscal measures, because that would require to be first adopted by the government and Parliament. He explained that the European Commission may publish a new fiscal recommendation for Romania, to be discussed by the Council on 8th July. On 4th June, the Commission published the European Semester Spring Package looking at economic and social developments in the member states. With respect to Romania, the Commission noted the risks generated by excessive deficits, the high level of spending, mainly as a result of a rise in salaries and pensions in 2024 and a record amount of public investment, as well as the risk of not reaching the targets undertaken without a revision of the fiscal framework. According to the European Commission, Romania is yet to take effective measures and there are no relevant factors to alleviate for a rise in spending.
Evacuation. 121 Romanian citizens from the armed conflict area in the Middle East and members of their families arrived on Friday morning in Romania following a government action coordinated by interim prime minister Cătălin Predoiu. According to a government statement, 158 Romanian citizens and family members who requested support from the Romanian authorities have been evacuated from the military conflict area. The evacuation was carried out using military aircraft made available by the defence ministry. The government statement notes that Romanian state institutions have monitored the situation and provided assistance to the Romanian citizens in the conflict area as soon as the armed conflict intensified between the State of Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Theatre. The 32nd edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, which started on Friday, brings together over 5,000 participants from over 80 different countries. This is the biggest event in Romania dedicated to the performing arts. For the next ten days, it features theatre, dance and street performances, concerts, exhibitions, workshops and conferences. More than half of the performances are taking place outdoors, where public access is free. The theme chosen for this year’s edition is “Thank You”.
Football. Romania’s national football team for the first time reached the semi-finals of the European Under-19 Championship, whose current edition it is hosting, after defeating Denmark 3-0 on Thursday evening in Bucharest. Romania needed a win in order to qualify for the semi-finals, while Denmark only needed a draw. In the other group match, Spain defeated Montenegro 5-0. Spain top the group with 9 points, followed by Romania with 6 points, Denmark with 3 points and Montenegro with no points. In their last but one match, Romania’s Under-19 national team will meet the Netherlands, who won Group B, on Monday in Bucharest. (MI)
