February 9-13
A roundup of the week's top stories
Bogdan Matei, 14.02.2025, 14:00
100 days with Ilie Bolojan, after 10 years with Klaus Iohannis
This Wednesday, Klaus Iohannis ended his second and last term as President of Romania. Ilie Bolojan, who stepped down as Senate Speaker and president of PNL took over the position of interim head of state. The Constitutional Court took note the presidency was vacated after Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation on Monday and established that the head of the Senate should step in as interim president. Ilie Gavrilă Bolojan was born 1969, in Bihor County (west). He studied mechanics and mathematics. He joined PNL in 1993. He is considered one of the best local specialists in local public administration. Over 2008-2020, he was mayor of Oradea, holding three mandates. Since 2020, he has been president of the Bihor County Council, a position he held until last year, when he became a senator. As interim president, an office he will hold for about a hundred days, Bolojan will have limited powers: he cannot address Parliament on key political issues, he cannot dissolve Parliament and he cannot call a national referendum. On December 21, 2024, Klaus Iohannis was supposed to end his term in office, but his stay at the Presidency was extended after the Constitutional Court annulled the entire process for the election of a new president. A new presidential election is slated for May, with the first round on the 4th and the second round on the 18th.
The state budget for 2025, ratified on the last day of Iohannis’ term in office
A few hours before announcing his resignation, President Iohannis signed the decrees for ratifying the State Budget Law for 2025 and the State Social Security Budget Law. The two bills were voted last week in a joint Parliament sitting. The budget is based on an economic growth rate of 2.5% and a budget deficit target of 7% of GDP. Finance Minister Tanczos Barna stated, before the plenary sitting, that the state budget is “moderate” and based on a prudent increase in revenues, “without exaggerations”. The Romanian official pointed out that the State Social Security Budget Law focuses “primarily on the payment of pensions”.
A no-confidence vote is in the making
The three parties in the self-proclaimed sovereignist opposition, AUR, SOS Romania and POT, have announced their intention to call for a vote of no-confidence against the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition. The motion could also be voted by MPs from the pro-European opposition party USR. Social-Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu claims he has no reasons to be afraid and that he is “confident” that “the government will not fall”. Political pundits do not rule out, however, possible defections within the majority and are skeptical about the chances of Ciolacu’s Cabinet staying in power.
A new Russian attack
The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the irresponsible attack by Russian forces on February 13, when two drones carrying explosives violated the airspace and fell on Romanian territory, near the border with Ukraine. By order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Emil Hurezeanu, the ad interim charge d’affaires of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the headquarters of the Ministry, where the Romanian side firmly condemned the repeated violations of Romania’s airspace. These illegal and irresponsible attacks must cease, while Romania has the right to take the necessary response measures, the Ministry said. Attending the 61st edition of the Munich International Security Conference, in Germany, organized over February 14-16, Minister Emil Hurezeanu calls for a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Ukraine The head of diplomacy from Bucharest also advocates for the continued provision of solid support for increasing the resilience of the Republic of Moldova.
Bloody brawl in Urziceni
Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, states that the involvement of several state structures is needed to combat organized crime and dismantle underworld clans. According to the Romanian official, although hundreds of organized crime groups have been dismantled in recent years, they are regenerating, and solving the problem may take a long time. At the end of last week, in Urziceni (south), two people died and five were injured, following a street brawl seasoned with gunfire, involving a few dozen people. Some of the combatants were arrested and charged with aggravated murder, brawl, disturbing public order and peace, failure to comply with the weapons and munitions legislation, unauthorized use of a weapon, attempted aggravated murder. Street brawls are uncommon in Romania, generally considered a safe country.
Romania secures Rugby World Cup qualification
Romania qualified for the 2027 World Cup in Australia after grabbing victories this month against Germany, 48-10, and Belgium, 31-14, in Rugby Europe Championship 2025. The Oaks have only missed out on the World Cup once, in 2019, when they were disqualified for fielding a naturalized but ineligible Tongan player. In football, Romanian champions FCSB from Bucharest defeated Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki 2-1 on Thursday night in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 play-offs. The return leg against the Greeks, coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu, is scheduled for next week in Bucharest. Also on Thursday, in handball, the defending champions Dinamo Bucharest lost 26-33 the home match against the Hungarian side One Veszprem HC, in Champions League Group A. (VP)
