October 19, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 19.10.2025, 13:55
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.
BLAST The apartment building in Bucharest where a powerful explosion occurred on Friday, causing casualties, is seriously damaged, according to a preliminary report of the Construction Inspectorate. Specialists believe that any possible consolidation is not economically justified and would involve major risks for the intervention teams. The interim mayor of Bucharest, Stelian Bujduveanu, stated that depending on the conclusions of experts and after the investigation is completed, the demolition of this building could be considered. The mayor also stated that all evacuated residents are receiving accommodation, counseling, medical support and logistical assistance to recover documents and essential goods. In the meantime, on-site investigations continue, and prosecutors have opened a criminal case for manslaughter. Three people lost their lives and 20 others were injured following a blast caused by the accumulation of gas. The explosion completely destroyed several apartments and caused damage to surrounding buildings.
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.
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.
FINANCE The Romanian finance minister Alexandru Nazare said there are very good signals for Romania following the talks held in Washington with Fitch rating agency and the International Monetary Fund. Nazare is leading the Romanian delegation to the Annual Meeting of the IMF and the World Bank Group, which takes place in the US capital. The Romanian official said the IMF report following the recent visit to Romania will be published in November, and added that the Romanian delegation paid special attention to ensuring that the country’s progress is reflected as well as possible in this document. He stated that he had talked with American investors and presented the opportunities that Romania offers and the new attitude that the administration intends to take in the coming period to attract new investments.
TABLE TENNIS The Romanian men’s team qualified for the first time in the final of the European Table Tennis Championships taking place in Zadar, Croatia. In the semifinals, the Romanian athletes defeated Slovenia 3-0. In today’s final, Romania will take on the French national team, which defeated Germany 3-1. In the women’s competition, Romania qualified for its 6th European final, after defeating the Netherlands 3-0 in the semis. In the women’s final, which also takes place today, Romania will face the title holders, Germany. The Romanian women’s team won silver at the 2024 edition and has been leading the European ranking since June. The men’s team is 6th placed in the European ranking, and in the last edition it lost in the round of 16. (AMP)
