October 19, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 19.10.2025, 20:00
MAGISTRATES The Constitutional Court of Romania Monday looks at a notification submitted by the High Court of Cassation and Justice against the magistrate retirement bill. The draft law, for which the Government has taken responsibility before Parliament, provides for a reduction of judges’ and prosecutors’ pensions and the gradual increase of their retirement age from 48 to 65. Unhappy with these changes, magistrates have suspended their work for about two months and are only trying cases deemed urgent. The Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan voiced hopes that the Constitutional Court judges will close the chapter on magistrates’ special pensions on Monday, as this is a benchmark in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and a prerequisite for the disbursement of hundreds of millions of euros in EU funding. The Constitutional Court judges have so far postponed a decision in this case twice. In tomorrow’s session, the Court must also make a decision regarding the appeal filed by the opposition parties AUR, SOS and POT regarding the fiscal-budgetary measures undertaken by the government.
EU The European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, arrives on Monday for an official visit to Bucharest where he has meetings scheduled with the president of Romania, Nicuşor Dan, and the Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. The visit takes place as the European Commission is strengthening support under the European Internal Security Strategy – ProtectEU for fighting human trafficking, organised crime and the protection of critical infrastructure. The European Commission Representation in Romania reports that the EU official intends to get directly involved in the security challenges faced by Romania, which is seen as a key pillar of the European security architecture. We have a lot to learn from Romania, which successfully protects external borders and counters hybrid threats from Russia, including disinformation campaigns and drone incursions, Brunner said. The European Commission is set to launch the European Democracy Shield this year, and the European Drone Defence Initiative in 2026.
GOVERNMENT The government is set to finalize the amendments to an emergency order that prevents mayors from incurring excessive expenses with repairs and purchases at the end of the year. As early as last week the government announced changes to the draft regulation, after several mayors warned that it would block the work of the city halls. Also at the beginning of next week, a minimum wage increase could be discussed within the National Three-Party Council, which brings together unions, employers and Government officials. The meeting takes place as trade unions support a minimum wage raise as of January 1, 2026, while entrepreneurs advocate for keeping it at the current level, just under EUR 800. The former labour minister, the Social Democrat Marius Budăi, said that freezing minimum wages violates a European directive in the field and is “a huge mistake” as it would deepen poverty, reduce consumption and affect the country’s economic growth.
JAZZ The great jazz composer and pianist Mircea Tiberian passed away on Saturday at the age of 70, the Romanian Composers and Musicologists Union announced. Tiberian played an essential role in jazz and improvised music education in Romania, as he founded the first and most important jazz and pop music department in the country, at the Bucharest Music Conservatory. He gave thousands of concerts in the country and abroad and released over 20 albums. With an impressive career spanning half a century, Mircea Tiberian was awarded the Jazz Composition Award of the Romanian Composers and Musicologists Union 6 times.
TABLE TENNIS The Romanian men’s table tennis team was defeated by the France 3-0 in the final of the European Table Tennis Championships in Zadar, Croatia. The Romanian athletes qualified for the first time in the final, after a 3-0 victory over Slovenia. Also on Sunday, the Romanian women’s team lost to Germany, 3-0, in the final of the European Table Tennis Championships in Zadar, Croatia. This is the 3rd consecutive defeat for the Romanian team against Germany in the women’s European Championship finals, after 2023 in Malmo, and 2021 in Cluj-Napoca. The last championship win for Romania was in 2019, in Nantes, against Portugal. The Romanian women’s table tennis team won the European Championships 5 times, and won another 8 silver medals and 3 bronze medals in the same competition. (AMP)
