September 29, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 29.09.2025, 13:55
MOLDOVA – The Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), a pro-European party in power for four years, founded by President Maia Sandu, won Sunday’s parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking). According to preliminary results after 99.5% of the votes were counted, PAS was voted for by just over half of the voters who turned up to the polls and will have an absolute majority in Parliament. In second place, at a great distance, was the Patriotic Bloc, formed by pro-Russian parties, with about 24.3% of the votes, followed by the Alternativa Electoral Bloc, of Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban, who has a travel ban on Romanian and European Union territory. Also entering Parliament were Our Party, led by the controversial mayor of Balti, Renato Usatîi, and the Democracy at Home Political Party, considered the surprise of the elections and propelled into Parliament following a campaign on TikTok. The pro-Europeans’ victory came at the end of a campaign in which the authorities, as well as the press, denounced massive interference from the Russian Federation in an attempt to influence the outcome of the vote.
REACTIONS – Romanian President Nicuşor Dan congratulated, on Monday, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova on the firm vote in favor of continuing the country’s European path, expressed in Sunday’s parliamentary elections. The head of state reiterated that Romania will continue to stand by the Republic of Moldova, through projects that will bring prosperity and a better quality of life for the Moldovans. The Romanian Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, also sent a congratulatory message to the Moldovan voters for their mobilization in the parliamentary elections and to the authorities in Chişinău for the exemplary way in which they organized the election. EU leaders, in turn, expressed their relief regarding the election result. “Moldova, you have succeeded again,” said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. “Moldova’s future is in Europe!”, said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, while the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, said that the message of the Moldovan people is clear and strong. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the victory of the pro-Europeans, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke of the courage of the Moldovan people for maintaining the European direction. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia failed in destabilizing Moldova and congratulated President Maia Sandu on this important victory.
UNIVERSITY – The new academic year begins in Romania today, and festivities are being organized in several higher education institutions throughout the country. The National Alliance of Student Organizations in Romania has, however, called on the entire student community to protest today against the fiscal-budgetary measures adopted by the Government, which, they say, affect the quality of education and restrict access to education. The main dissatisfactions relate to the reduction of the scholarship fund by 40% and the limitation of the discount granted for train travel, to the university-home route alone. Protests are announced in Bucharest and several other cities.
BUDGET – The budget revision project – the first of this year – is launched today in public consultation, after new discussions in the ruling coalition in Bucharest. Its adoption will take place towards the end of the week, in a special government meeting. The budget revision will ensure current payments, the completion of the necessary amounts for social assistance, but also in other areas, including a slight addition to the investment component, according to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, who drew attention to this rectification, saying that it will be a tense one, given the great pressure from the investment sector. “In order to allocate additional amounts to the investment component next year, mainly to over-contracting under the NRRP program, we need to reduce our operating expenses and, practically, all the money that will be saved next year through cuts in spending, will be allocated to the completion of these investment projects under the NRRP program,” the prime minister explained.
FUNERAL – Cardinal Lucian Mureşan, Major Archbishop of the Greek Catholic Church in Romania, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, is buried today in Blaj (center). A day of local mourning has been declared in Blaj. President Nicuşor Dan is attending the funeral ceremony. On Saturday, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan also paid his respects in the “Holy Trinity” Archbishopric Cathedral in Blaj, at the coffin of Cardinal Lucian Mureşan. For his devoted service during the communist persecution and for his contribution to the institutional reconstruction of the Greek Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI named him cardinal in 2012. Cardinal Lucian Mureşan received Pope Francis in Blaj six years ago, who beatified the martyr bishops of the Greek Catholic Church in Romania. (EE)
