The Week in Review, April 20-26

A look back at the main developments this past week

Leyla Cheamil, 26.04.2025, 12:53

The European Commissioner for budget, anti-fraud and public administration, Piotr Serafin, in Romania

The interim President of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, Thursday received the European Commissioner for budget, anti-fraud and public administration, Piotr Serafin, in Bucharest. The European official’s visit to Romania is part of a tour of EU member states, aimed at discussing the EU budget for the post-2027 period, in order to harmonise national perspectives with the Union’s strategic priorities.

Ilie Bolojan explained that, from Romania’s perspective, the future Multiannual Financial Framework of the Union must be simplified and flexible enough to respond to possible unforeseen developments and to ensure financial support for Romania’s and the Union’s development goals.

At the same time, he stressed the importance of adapting the EU budget to the specific circumstances of the member states. The interim president of Romania pleaded for maintaining the role of traditional policies in the architecture of the future EU budget, including for keeping the Common Agricultural Policy as a separate policy, with a consistent budget and fair incomes for farmers.

Commissioner Piotr Serafin reaffirmed the European Commission’s commitment to an ambitious financial projection well-adapted to future challenges, which would continue to support economic development, competitiveness and cohesion, and respond to security and defence challenges in all Member States. He also underlined that streamlining and flexibility are important goals in the architecture of the future EU budget.

Economic forecasts for Romania

The finance ministry reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to meet the 7% of GDP deficit target by the end of the year. The ministry promised to stay on this trend in the coming years, as stipulated in a plan agreed on with the European Commission officials. The statements come after, according to new Eurostat data, Romania had the largest deficit in the EU last year, 9.3% of GDP, above the figure announced by the government.

The finance ministry lists among the main causes for this situation the amounts owed by public institutions at the end of the year, which implied higher expenses that were not included in the original calculations.

In turn, the World Bank estimates a slowdown in Romania’s economic growth this year, which is expected to reach 1.3%, as against 2.1% as previously forecast. It is the second weakest economic growth in the entire Europe and Central Asia region, after the Republic of Moldova. For 2026, the WB estimates that Romania will have the third-lowest economic growth rate, only 1.9% of GDP.

The IMF has also lowered its estimates regarding the growth of the Romanian economy this year, from 3.3% as forecast in October 2024, to 1.6%, given the new global context. Inflation is expected to reach an average 4.6% this year and 3.1% next year, after a 5.6% increase last year.

Saturday, April 26, a national day of mourning in Romania in memory of Pope Francis

The government of Romania has declared Saturday, April 26, the day of Pope Francis’ funeral, a national day of mourning. The Pope died on Monday after 12 years in office. Romanian public officials and religious leaders expressed their sadness at the news of Pope Francis’ death. Pope Francis made a 3-day visit to Romania in May 2019, the most extensive visit made by the Catholic Church leader to a mostly Orthodox country. Many believers gathered at the Vatican to pay tribute to Pope Francis, who lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Romanian heroes who fell in the line of duty were commemorated

The Romanian heroes who fell in the line of duty were commemorated on the Day of the Land Forces celebrated this Wednesday. Military and religious ceremonies were held in Bucharest and around the country. The interim president Ilie Bolojan thanked the Romanian military for the way they carry out their missions alongside the Allies and stressed that we are going through a complicated period, generated by the war in Ukraine, which affects regional land security.

At the same time, 80 years since the end of World War II the defence ministry commemorated this week the Romanian heroes who fell on the Western Front, by organising a march and solemn ceremonies at cemeteries in the country and abroad, including at the Rákoskeresztúr Cemetery in Budapest, the Romanian Cemetery in Zvolen, Slovakia, and the Central Cemetery in the city of Brno, Czech Republic.

Further suspects arrested over the theft of parts of the Dacian treasure in the Netherlands

Police in the Netherlands have arrested two more suspects, aged 20 and 18, respectively, in the investigation into the theft of artifacts belonging to Romania from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. One of the two is the man featured in CCTV footage in a DIY store in Assen.

Police had already arrested 5 suspects in this investigation, 4 of whom are still in custody. The stolen gold artifacts have not yet been found.

In January, thieves set off an explosion at the Drents Museum in Assen. Three gold bracelets and a gold helmet were stolen, the centerpiece of the exhibition “Dacia. The Kingdom of Gold and Silver”, with over 500 items on loan from Romania. (AMP)