November 8, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 08.11.2025, 14:00
UKRAINE
Romania’s President Nicușor Dan held a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, discussing the current security situation and bilateral relations. “I had a substantial talk with President Zelenskyy about the current security developments and the need to increase efforts to achieve a durable and just peace in Ukraine. Ukraine must win the war, because it is fighting for the security of all Europe and for our shared values. At bilateral level, we agreed to work towards establishing a strategic partnership. We are both committed to implementing a pragmatic, forward-looking and sustainable agenda,” the Romanian President wrote on X.
SURVEY
The AUR party (opposition) leads voter preferences with 38%, followed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 19.5%, the National Liberal Party (PNL) with 14.6%, and Save Romania Union (USR) with 12.3%, all three currently part of the ruling coalition, according to a survey conducted by INSCOP over October 25 – November 2.
For the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians (UDMR), the junior partner in the four-party, pro-European governing coalition, 4.8% of respondents said they would vote. Other parties remain below the 5% electoral threshold.
“For the first time since the presidential election in May 2025, AUR has dropped below 40%, but still scores twice as high as the next party, the Social Democrats, who are slightly increasing. PNL, USR and UDMR remain stable compared to previous months. Ruling coalition parties jointly hold 51% of voting intentions, while the parliamentary opposition totals around 43%”, says Remus Ștefureac, the director of INSCOP Research.
The survey was commissioned by the news platform Informat.ro, in partnership with the Strategic Thinking Group think tank. The data was collected based on telephone interviews on a sample population of 3,000 respondents, representative of Romania’s non-institutionalized population aged 18 and over, by gender, age and occupation. The maximum margin of error is ±1.8%, with a 95% confidence level.
TRAVEL ADVISORY – UNITED STATES
Romania’s Foreign Ministry (MAE) informs Romanian citizens who are transiting or planning to travel to the United States of America that, following an announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), flight delays and cancellations are expected in the coming days, both for domestic and international flights, due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The Ministry advises citizens to check flight status before going to airports and to stay in contact with airline representatives for real-time information regarding flight schedules.
Romanian citizens facing difficult or emergency situations can contact the consular duty hotlines, according to their jurisdiction.
FEAST DAY
Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania on Saturday celebrate the Feast of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, as well as all the angels.
According to Christian belief, angels are spiritual beings who serve God and have delivered divine messages to humans throughout history. Their Greek name, angelos, means “messenger”.
Michael and Gabriel are the leaders of the angelic hosts. Christian tradition says that Michael confronted Lucifer when he rebelled against God, brought fire from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and led the Jewish people toward the Promised Land. Gabriel is the bearer of good news, he announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
Christian belief also holds that each person has a guardian angel who intercedes for them at the Last Judgment.
Almost 1.5 million Romanians celebrate their name day, including 833,749 men and 636,687 women, according to the General Directorate for Population Records.
FUNERAL
Legendary football coach Emerich Jenei was buried on Saturday with military honors in Oradea, western Romania.
An ethnic Hungarian, born March 22, 1937, in Agrișu Mic, Arad County, Jenei played for Steaua Bucharest between 1954 and 1969 (254 matches, 7 goals). As a coach, he won multiple domestic trophies and, in 1986, led Steaua Bucharest to victory in the European Champions Cup, a unique achievement in Romanian football history.
For this accomplishment, he was decorated in March 2008 with the “Sports Merit” Order, 2nd Class. On May 8, 1998, The Ministry of Defense promoted Colonel (ret.) Emerich Jenei to the rank of brigadier general (one star).
As national team coach, he led Romania to the 1990 World Cup in Italy (after a 20-year break) and to Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as managed Hungary’s national team.
At club level, he also coached FC Bihor, CS Târgoviște, MOL Fehérvár (Hungary), Panionios (Greece), and FCU Craiova. As a player, he also played for UTA Arad and Kayserispor (Turkey). Numerous Romanian football figures have conveyed their public condolences.
RUGBY
Romania’s national rugby team is today playing a friendly match against Canada in Bucharest. They will next face the United States (November 15) and Uruguay (November 22), both at home.
All four teams, Romania and the three from the Americas, have already qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. (VP)
