September 7, 2025

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 07.09.2025, 14:00

ATTACK – Russia launched more than 800 drones and ballistic missiles on several cities in Ukraine on Saturday night. The attacks damaged buildings in Kyiv, including the government building, and killed three people, among whom a one-year-old child. “Putin’s missiles and drones have killed innocent people again,” said Romanian Defense Minister Ionuț Mosteanu. He said Romania “strongly” condemns such “criminal attacks” that show “the true face of the Putin regime.” Mosteanu believes that there is no intention of peace in this barbaric attack by the Kremlin. According to him, Russia wants to destroy Ukraine and intimidate Europe.

AVRAM IANCU – The Pantheon of the Moti in Ţebea is today hosting the traditional national celebrations dedicated to the memory of Avram Iancu, one of the most important heroes of the 1848 Revolution in Transylvania. The event, which marks the 153rd commemoration of his death, includes religious ceremonies, wreaths laying at Avram Iancu’s grave, the evocation of his historical personality and a folk show. The public ceremony will end with the parade of the guard of honor. The national celebrations in Ţebea bring together thousands of participants every year, who have come to honor the memory of the one who fought for the rights and freedom of the Romanians in Transylvania.

MOTIONS – The Parliament’s plenary in Bucharest is debating and voting today on the four censure motions tabled by the opposition after the Government’s response to the second package of measures to reduce the budget deficit. The projects targeted by the action of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the Young People’s Party and SOS Romania refer to the fiscal reform, the healthcare reform, the reform of state institutions and autonomous companies. While AUR accuses the Government of presenting a limited reform and ignoring institutions that maintain bureaucratic procedures and high taxes, the ruling coalition claims that the opposition’s action is just a political game. For a censure motion to be adopted, 233 favorable votes are required. However, calculations show that PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the national minorities have a comfortable majority in Parliament, with the opposition missing over 100 votes for the initiative to succeed. If the motions are rejected, the four reform projects are considered adopted.

DEFENSE – The Romanian Ministry of National Defense begins, on Monday, an exercise to test the response capacity in a crisis situation. The “Concordia 25” exercise is coordinated by the Defense General Staff and will take place in nine counties in the country, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Protection and Guard Service and the Special Telecommunications Service. The exercise aims to verify action procedures, including for the management of possible chemical, bacteriological, radiological and nuclear incidents. Thus, between September 8-12, patrol actions, mobile camps, public order maintenance missions, mine clearance operations and actions to combat cyber threats will be held.

EDUCATION – The opening of the new school year in Romania, scheduled for Monday, will be boycotted in several counties. Teachers have announced that they will not participate in the festivities. They have been taking to the streets for more than three weeks, in Bucharest and across the country, dissatisfied with the increase in the teaching norm, in the number of students in a class and the merging of schools. All are part of the first package of fiscal measures, adopted by the government to reduce the budget deficit. The Federation of Free Trade Unions in Education on Saturday called on teachers to join the protests until the austerity measures imposed on the education system are repealed. The union leader, Simion Hăncescu, recalled that a major protest is scheduled for Monday in Bucharest and urged teachers to boycott the start of school year. Student organizations have also announced their support for the protests, dissatisfied with the change in the scholarship system. On the other hand, the Ministry of Education has requested that parents be informed promptly about what will happen in each school on Monday, so that they know what students and preschoolers should do. (EE)