THE WEEK IN REVIEW
May 19-23, 2025
Daniela Budu, 24.05.2025, 13:16
Independent Nicușor Dan won the elections held last Sunday and will be the president of Romania for the next five years. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court unanimously validated the presidential mandate obtained by the former mayor of the capital. At the solemn session at the CCR, Nicușor Dan declared that he is aware of the responsibility of the mandate received, of the current challenges, and of the expectations of the citizens. Nicușor Dan:
“I want to assure Romanian citizens that I understand the responsibility of the mandate they granted me. There will be many challenges and I hope that we will successfully complete all of these challenges. Romanian society has shown wisdom and I am convinced that throughout the coming period it will put pressure on the necessary positive change in Romania. I will fight for the consolidation of state institutions, it is a necessity. I will also fight for the economic prosperity of the country and I will be a partner of the business environment and a guarantor of civil liberties.”
The joint session of the two chambers of Parliament, where Nicuşor Dan will take the oath as President of Romania, will take place on Monday. He has proposed that, preliminary discussions with the political parties regarding the formation of the future government and its program begin immediately after the official inauguration. Nicuşor Dan:
“I think it is good that everything is established in advance so that there are no tensions within the government. I want as many aspects as possible of the government platform to be established between the parties, so I do not want to rush into forming the government, I want to take a three-four week interval. A PSD entry into government would provide more credibility”.
The interim president of the PSD, Sorin Grindeanu, in this position after the resignation of former Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, stated that the Social Democrats do not have demands regarding certain positions in the future executive, but some conditions regarding the measures to be included in the government platform. USR, the party that supported Nicuşor Dan in the electoral campaign, declared itself open to discussions with other pro-European parties for the formation of the future government. PNL and UDMR also support a government with solid support in Parliament. On the other hand, AUR representatives announced that the party will remain in opposition and will not participate in the consultations.
The interim president of Romania’s balance sheet
The interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, presented his balance sheet of the 100 days since taking office. The stability of the country, the organization of the presidential elections, foreign and defense policy were among the priorities, said Ilie Bolojan, who recalled that he took office in difficult domestic conditions and in a turbulent international context, marked by the war in neighboring Ukraine and the inconstant dialogue between the US and the EU. According to him, in these months, important discussions have taken place related to the defense field. These aimed at consolidating the Eastern Flank in NATO, strengthening the national defense industry, its integration into the supply chains of the European military industry, but also accessing European funds. Ilie Bolojan added: “I believe that we have contributed, in this short period, to consolidating an image of a state and country that you can rely on, a predictable and safe country,”.
Illegal drones can be shot down
The law on the control of the use of Romania’s airspace and the law regulating the peacetime conduct of military missions and operations were endorsed by interim President Ilie Bolojan. The two laws strengthen Romania’s defense capacity and deter threats. As for the law on the control of the use of airspace, a new framework for cooperation and coordination will be created at the level of authorities and institutions that have competences in managing and monitoring national airspace, as well as ensuring compliance with the rules of its use. The new legislative act became necessary after pieces of drones launched by the Russian army against neighboring Ukraine fell on Romanian territory several times.
Forecasts from the National Bank of Romania
The National Bank of Romania expects an inflation rate of 4.6% at the end of this year, higher than the previous forecast of 3.8%. In a press conference, the governor of the National Bank, Mugur Isărescu, pointed out that the new estimate was made with data collected before May 1, and the analysis does not include what happened during the presidential elections, so the forecast may change. The governor of the Central Bank said, however, that the big problem of the Romanian economy at the moment remains the country’s budget deficit, which at the end of 2024 was 8.6% of the Gross Domestic Product. On the other hand, Mugur Isărecu specified that this month there was strong pressure on the foreign exchange market with some of the largest capital outflows from the country. Under these conditions, he added, the National Bank intervened with very large amounts, but the exchange rate of under 5 lei for one euro was impossible to defend.
Award for Roberta Metsola in Timisoara
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, received the Timisoara Prize for European Values, the highest distinction awarded by the city in western Romania to international personalities who actively support community values. Roberta Metsola was appreciated for her courage and firm attitude in times of crisis, for her support for neighboring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, but also for her efforts regarding Romania’s accession to the Schengen area of free movement. The European official said: “The prize is a reminder that democracy matters, that we must defend freedom, to defend ourselves against disinformation, extremism and division. These values must be defended and I cannot think of a better place to receive this award, as Timisoara is a city that knows what freedom is”.
