May 20, 2025 UPDATE (2)
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 20.05.2025, 20:00
INFLATION – The National Bank of Romania has revised its inflation forecast for the end of 2025, from 3.8% previously to 4.6%, and expects the inflation rate to reach 3.4% at the end of 2026, compared to 3.1% in its previous forecast, according to data presented on Tuesday by the bank’s governor, Mugur Isărescu. The latter said the Central Bank will work with the new government to find the best solutions to bring down inflation, based on a sustainable and gradual reduction of the public deficit and without economic recession. According to Eurostat data, the annual inflation rate in the European Union has continued to drop in April to 2.4% from 2.5% in March, but Romania still has the highest inflation rate, 4.9%. Romania’s National Statistics Institute said the highest price hikes were recorded in April in the services sector, nearly 7%.
ELECTION – The Central Election Bureau is expected to submit to the Constitutional Court the results of the second round of Sunday’s presidential election for the Constitutional Court to validate them on Thursday. President elect Nicuşor Dan will most likely be sworn in before Parliament next Monday. Dan said he wants a government made up of pro-European parties, and expects PSD to announce whether or not it wants to be part of the new cabinet.
RESIGNATION – Former Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has resigned as president of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania. The decision was taken on the sidelines of the meeting of the party’s Political Council, which convened on Tuesday to conduct an extensive analysis of the party’s situation after the presidential election and determine the next steps for the party. Two options are being analyzed: either staying in power alongside pro-European forces or entering the opposition. The majority opinion seems to favor a constructive opposition, the new interim president of PSD, Sorin Grindeanu has said. Grindeanu will discuss with the president-elect and representatives of the other parties before announcing whether or not PSD will be part of the new ruling coalition. We recall that, in the presidential election of November 2024, later annulled by the Constitutional Court, Marcel Ciolacu failed to pass the first round, and in the election held earlier this month, Crin Antonescu, the representative of the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition, also did not advance to the presidential runoff.
COMMEMORATION – “Romania has been an active supporter of peace in the region, ‘firmly’ condemning anti-Semitism, terrorism and any form of extreme violence”, acting Senate Speaker, Mircea Abrudean, said in a solemn session of Parliament marking the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the State of Israel. According to the Romanian official, Israel is “Romania’s closest ally in the Middle East and a trusted partner at global level”. In turn, the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, MP Silviu Vexler, said the Parliament session is an excellent opportunity to reiterate and develop the strong and friendly relationship between the two countries. The 77 years of uninterrupted diplomatic ties testify to the solidity of Romanian-Israeli friendship and open new vistas for developing closer cooperation in the future, according to the memorandum approved on May 12 by the joint permanent bureaus of the two chambers.
SANCTIONS – EU Foreign Ministers have adopted the 17th package of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas and the EU Council announced on Tuesday. The measures are designed to cut off Russia’s access to key military technologies and limit Moscow’s energy revenues, which fuel its war of aggression against Ukraine, targeting its ghost fleet of oil tankers, their operators and major Russian oil producers. By adding 75 new names – 17 individuals and 58 entities – to the list of sanctions, the EU’s restrictive measures, which punish actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine, now apply to 2,400 individuals and entities. Romania was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu. (VP)
