June 22, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Elena Enache, 22.06.2025, 20:00
GOVERNMENT – The ruling coalition’s protocol will most likely be signed on Monday, Prime Minister designate Ilie Bolojan said Sunday. Also on Monday, the ministers to be part of the new government will be heard in the Parliament’s expert committees. On Sunday, the leaders of the PNL, PSD and UDMR voted on the candidates for the portfolios their parties will hold in the future government. The Liberals decided that the Interior Ministry will further be headed by Cătălin Predoiu, who will also be Deputy Prime Minister, while Daniel David will keep his position as Education Minister. The Ministry of Finance will be led by Alexandru Nazare, and that of European Funds by Dragoş Pâslaru. The Social Democrats niminated Marian Neacşu for the position of Deputy Prime Minister, Radu Marinescu for the Ministry of Justice and Alexandru Rogobete for the Health Ministry. The Ministry of Labor will be headed by Florin Manole, the Ministry of Energy by Bogdan Ivan, the Ministry of Agriculture by Florin Barbu, and the Ministry of Transport by Ciprian Şerban. UDMR nominated Barna Tanczos for the position of Deputy PM, Attila Cseke for the Ministry of Development and Andras Demeter for the Ministry of Culture. On Saturday, USR also appointed its ministers in the new cabinet. These are Ionuţ Moşteanu, for the Ministry of Defense and as Deputy PM, Oana Ţoiu for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radu Miruţă for the Ministry of Economy and Digitalization and Diana Buzoianu for the Ministry of Environment.
STRIKES – US President Donald Trump announced Saturday night that the United States had struck three nuclear sites in Iran, including the main uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, built deep inside the mountain. In a short speech at the White House, in the presence of Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Trump said that “the strikes were a spectacular military success” and that Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities were completely destroyed. The US President called Iran “the bully of the Middle East” and asked the authorities in Tehran to make peace now, or risk heavier attacks.
MIDDLE EAST – Romania is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, and the main concern of the Romanian authorities is the safety of Romanian citizens in the region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) in Bucharest said. According to the MAE, Romania’s consistent position has been that the Iranian nuclear program is against the international obligations that this state has assumed and it must cease. “The recent actions of the US aim to eliminate a serious threat to international peace,” Bucharest also emphasized. At the same time, Romanian diplomacy said that it is in permanent contact with NATO allies and other EU members and is ready to support a negotiated solution. “We join the calls addressed to all regional actors to demonstrate maximum restraint and avoid provocative actions,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest also said.
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – The Senate’s legal committee will hear candidates for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) on Monday. The vote in the Senate’s plenary session could most likely be held on June 25. The mandate of the current CCR judge, Marian Enache, expires on July 12. The mandate of Varga Attila, a magistrate appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, also ends on that date. A new judge to replace him is expected to take the oath on July 13. The Constitutional Court has nine judges appointed for a nine-year term that cannot be extended. Of these, three are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three by the Senate and three by the President of Romania, in keeping with the Constitution.
EDUCATION – The Ministry of Education in Bucharest approved the framework plans for high school education. The document establishes the mandatory and optional subject matters in high school, depending on profile. The curriculum is aimed to ensure predictability, decentralization, equity, flexibility and relevance, the ministry said. This avoids overloading students and ensures a unified framework for all specializations. Education Minister Daniel David has recently said that teachers will be trained to have the necessary skills to teach according to the new school curricula. He has also said that the framework plans will be implemented progressively, starting from the fall of 2026, so that they will be fully integrated from the 2029-2030 school year.
VOLLEYBALL – The Romanian men’s national volleyball team did not manage to qualify for the Final Four tournament of the Golden League competition, after finishing 4th the 6 stages of the main phase. At the final tournament in Brno, the Czech Republic, due on July 5 and 6, in addition to the host country, which ranked 5th, Israel also qualified with 6 wins and 17 points and Greece with 5 wins and 16 points. (EE)
