March 17, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 17.03.2025, 13:55
FAC – Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, is today attending the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels, centered on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, developments in Iran, the Middle East, Syria and EU-US relations, amid recent tensions linked to the newly introduced US tariffs. The discussion on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will focus on how to maintain EU multidimensional support for Ukraine, especially military and financial assistance, in the context of the latest developments. With respect to the Middle East, participants will address developments in Israel and Gaza, with an emphasis on the importance of continuing to implement the ceasefire agreement. On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Hurezeanu will also attend the 9th Ministerial Conference dedicated to Syria and the region, entitled “Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition”. The EU Foreign Ministers meeting takes place a few days before the European Council meeting, which is expected to tackle EU competitiveness in terms of defense. EU Council president, António Costa, said that defense and competitiveness are closely linked, and a more competitive Union will be a stronger Union, better able to protect its citizens, interests and values at global level. Representing Romania at the EU Council meeting will be interim president, Ilie Bolojan. Details about the amounts required to strengthen European defense will be decided in the coming period, the Romanian official said.
ELECTION – Interim president Ilie Bolojan is meeting in Bucharest with representatives of the institutions tasked with organizing the presidential election in May. Attending talks are also Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu and the interim head of the Permanent Election Authority, Zsombor Vajda. In the first press briefing held after taking office, Ilie Bolojan gave assurances he will do everything in his power to ensure that the election is organized fairly and transparently, so that Romanians can elect the president they want. The deadline for submitting candidacies for the presidential election has passed. 24 candidacies have been submitted to the Central Election Bureau. Eight candidates have been validated so far, while another eight are still pending the decision of the Bureau later today. Another eight candidacies have been rejected. The deadline for appealing the decisions to the Constitutional Court is tomorrow, with the final list of political candidates is to be announced on Thursday, March 20.
RATING – At the end of last week, Moody’s financial rating agency maintained Romania’s investment-grade, although it revised its outlook from stable to negative. In the absence of additional fiscal reforms and spending cuts, the budget deficit will remain high this year – 7.7% of GDP, Moody’s writes. Fitch and Standard & Poor’s have also affirmed Romania’s negative outlook.
FIRE – Seven days of national mourning will be observed in North Macedonia in memory of the victims of the devastating fire that broke out at a club in the town of Kočani on the night of March 15-16. 59 people, including three minors, were killed in the tragedy, and 150 others were taken to hospital. North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that the club’s operating permit was issued illegally by the Ministry of Economy and promised that all those responsible would be brought to justice, Reuters reports. The police have already detained about 20 people. According to local authorities, the fire was started after sparks from pyrotechnic devices ignited the ceiling made of highly flammable material. Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan expressed Romania’s solidarity with the people of North Macedonia. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu conveyed his condolences and said that Romania is ready to offer its support. The tragedy in North Macedonia is reminiscent of the one that took place in Bucharest on October 30, 2015, at the Colectiv club, when a fire broke out, also after fireworks ignited the ceiling. 64 young people died in the fire – 27 in the fire, and the others succumbed to their injuries in hospitals in the weeks that followed. 150 people were injured, most of whom were maimed for life. In 2017, almost 2 years after the Colectiv fire, one of the survivors committed suicide. (VP)
