March 6, 2025 UPDATE 2
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 06.03.2025, 18:57
PRESIDENCY – On a visit to Brussels, Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Thursday discussed with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen regarding Romania’s priorities in implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and increasing the absorption of European funds. “We also expressed our support for the European Commission’s initiatives in the field of defense and competitiveness”, Ilie Bolojan wrote on social media. The Romanian president also met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the two officials discussed opportunities to strengthen the Eastern Flank. Ilie Bolojan is attending an extraordinary European Council, where heads of state and government from the European Union are discussing support for Ukraine and the situation of European defense. Ahead of the summit, the European Commission president said that Europe is at a crossroads and stressed the importance of Europe defending itself through a massive increase in defense spending but also by helping Ukraine achieve a lasting and fair peace. Ursula von der Leyen proposed a European armament plan, with defense investments of up to €800 billion. In turn, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, assured European leaders that the European Parliament can move quickly and effectively to respond to present-day unprecedented security challenges. “Peace must guarantee freedom for Ukraine, security for Europe and deterrence for those who think they can take it by force”, president Metsola added. Present in Brussels, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its strong support.
APPEAL – Magistrates on Thursday dismissed as unfounded the complaint filed by Călin Georgescu against the judicial control measure, in the investigation where he faces several charges. A former independent candidate in last year’s presidential elections, Călin Georgescu was last week placed under judicial control by the Prosecutor General’s Office for a period of 60 days. He is subject to a number of interdictions, including the right to leave the country without the approval of judicial authorities. At the same time, Georgescu cannot post content of a legionary, fascist, anti-Semitic, racist or xenophobic nature on social media. Georgescu is being prosecuted for committing six crimes, the most serious being that of inciting actions against the constitutional order. Investigators claim that he Georgescu had come up with a plan to destabilize the country after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election in December. The first round was won by Călin Georgescu. Meanwhile, prosecutors have raided new locations linked to the financing of his election campaign. Also on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights rejected Călin Georgescu’s appeal challenging the annulment of the presidential election in Romania in December 2024. The decision is unanimous and final. Călin Georgescu recently announced that he will submit his candidacy for the presidential election in May with the Central Electoral Bureau on Friday.
GOVERNMENT The Romanian government on Thursday passed several emergency orders, concerning, among other things, the healthcare reform and the spending of EU funds. In the field of healthcare, the government wants to improve regulations on public medical care for freelancers, on the taxation of medicines, on the organization and operation of medical offices and the granting of sick leaves. In a separate emergency order, the Romanian government earmarks the financing for certain local authorities to complete works to extend and upgrade natural gas infrastructure. Finally, the cabinet has also approved the amount of this year’s state aid for the livestock sector.
MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova has been accepted into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the decision reflecting a confirmation of significant progress in the process of accession to the European Union, the National Bank of the Republic of Moldova has announced. According to the document, SEPA membership will facilitate faster, safer and more accessible international payments in Euro for Moldovan citizens and businesses. “Today’s decision consolidates our irreversible path towards European accession”, said the Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Moldova, Anca Dragu. SEPA is a European system that facilitates cross-border payments in Euro, eliminating the differences between national and international payments. It includes all European Union countries, as well as other states. (VP)
