September 1, 2025 UPDATE

A roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 01.09.2025, 20:10

VISIT The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who on Monday visited the military base of Mihail Kogalniceanu in southern Romania, has hailed Romania’s involvement in maintaining security on NATO’s eastern flank. ‘You keep Europe safe in the air and waters of the Black Sea. And more than ever Romania is a key asset for European security and a key partner of NATO’s eastern flank”, the head of the community Executive says. In turn, Romanian president, Nicusor Dan, has said Romania will be able to host a European security hub. “We are glad the European Union adopted, upon Romania’s proposal, a strategy for the Black Sea, which we wish to get operational as soon as possible. Part of this strategy, we wish the European security hub, this strategy speaks of, be located in Romania, at Constanta, at the Black Sea,” the Romanian head of state has also said. Since Friday von der Leyen has visited countries in the east of the Union, like Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria. According to the European Commission Representation in Romania, her visits are highlighting “the EU support for the member countries which are facing a series of challenges because they have common borders with Russia or Belarus or are close to Ukraine, a country invaded by the Russian troops.

GOVERNMENT The coalition government in Bucharest on Monday night assumed responsibility in Parliament for the five draft laws part of the second package of reform measures, targeting the magistrate pensions, the country’s healthcare system, tax policies and state companies. A sixth project, which sought to reform the local public administration, was postponed. The opposition has three days to table censure motions in an attempt to block the endorsement of the laws and make the government to step down. The ultranationalist party AUR in opposition has announced it will file four censure motions against the draft laws in the second measure package. The PSD – PNL – USR – UDMR government also took responsibility for the first package of measures designed to curb budget spending. The AUR representatives say they are backing only the amendments to the law on the retirement of the magistrates.

WIZZ The low cost air carrier Wizz Air has announced its intention to resume its flights from Bucharest and Iasi, in northern Romania, to Tel Aviv in Israel starting the first week of September for prices starting from 319 RON. According to a press release on Monday the Bucharest –Tel Aviv route will resume on September 1^st with flights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Daily flights will become available starting September 15. The Iasi-Tel Aviv route will resume on September 4^th with flights on Thursdays and Sundays, while from September 28, it will be available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for prices starting from 399 RON. As passenger routes begin to reopen in the area, Wizz Air resumes its flights to Tel Aviv earlier than expected, the company says. 

TENNIS A pair made up of Elena Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine has advanced to the round of 16 of the women’s doubles at US Open after ousting Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil and Laura Siegemund of Germany in straight sets. In the next round, Ruse and Kostyuk will play Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Elise Mertens of Belgium.

 FOOTBALL The selector of Romania’s national football side, Mircea Lucescu, has announced the lineup for the games this month against the representatives of Canada and Cyprus – the field federation has announced on its webpage. The lineup includes 13 footballers who are playing for foreign clubs and another 13 from Romania’s first football league. On Friday, September 5^th, Romania takes on Canada in a friendly in Bucharest and on September 9, our footballers will be up against Cyprus in an away game counting towards the group H of the World Cup preliminaries. The group’s leader is Bosnia with nine points, followed by Austria and Romania, each with 6, Cyprus 3 and San Marino with no points.

(bill)