July 2, 2025 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 01.07.2025, 20:00

RULING –The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) rejected, on Tuesday, the appeal of the populist party SOS Romania (in opposition), to the appointment of Mihai Busuioc as a judge of this Court. According to the CCR, Busuioc meets the condition to be a CCR judge, having over 18 years of experience in legal studies. Mihai Busuioc was appointed by the Senate’s plenary, at the proposal of the PSD (in co-government). The CCR is composed of nine judges, appointed for a nine-year term. Three judges are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three by the Senate and three by the President of Romania. Also on Tuesday, the Constitutional Court admitted the exception of unconstitutionality raised by the former president of the country, Traian Băsescu, against the provisions of the law by which the benefits due to him as a former head of state were withdrawn. The law was adopted after the Courts in Romania found that the former president was a collaborator of the former communist political police. Without denying the existence of collaboration with the Securitate, the Constitutional Court admitted the appeal filed by Traian Băsescu, so he will regain his privileges.

MEETING – Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan met on Tuesday with a delegation of the Atlantic Council, one of the most well-known strategic analysis organizations in the United States, the Government announced. The discussions focused on regional security issues, transatlantic cooperation, the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States , as well as energy security issues. The meeting took place in the context of the official launch, in Bucharest, of the Atlantic Council Romania office, marking the expansion of the organization’s institutional presence in Central and Eastern Europe and the strengthening of the Romanian-American strategic dialogue. On the other hand, the Minister of Defense, Ionuţ Moşteanu, received the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the US Embassy in Bucharest, Michael Dickerson. The Romanian official told him that Romania maintains its firm commitment to modernizing and adapting its armed forces, in close cooperation with its American partner, thus consolidating its position as a pillar of stability within NATO and in the Black Sea region. Minister Moşteanu also stressed the importance of maintaining a robust American military presence on Romanian territory.

EU – We must make efforts to welcome new states into the European Union family in a few years, Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu said on Tuesday in Bucharest, during a conference that marked the beginning of the Danish rotating six-month presidency of the EU Council. The Romanian official also stressed the need for defense against hybrid threats and interference in democratic processes. “Romania’s commitment to an ambitious, merit-based enlargement inspires us. We look forward to collaborating on such topics in the next six months,” said the Danish Ambassador Uffe Andersson Balslev. Denmark’s priorities are the Ukrainian integration process, defense and migration. The Ukrainian file is currently blocked by Hungary, which would also affect the Republic of Moldova. In the field of defense, Denmark wants a clear investment and equipment strategy. Finally, Copenhagen is one of the signatories of the letter criticizing the ECHR’s approach to the expulsion of migrants or asylum seekers with criminal records.

ELECTRICITY- Romania eliminated as of Tuesday, July 1, the cap on electricity prices, and bills will be higher. Almost four million households will receive a monthly support of 50 lei (the equivalent of about 10 euros), in the form of a voucher,  to help pay electricity bills. The money will be granted until the end of March 2026. Also on Tuesday, the cap on the compulsory car insurance policy tariffs was removed, a measure imposed two years ago, after the bankruptcy of the Euroins company. The Financial Surveillance Agency (ASF) says that the market has stabilized since and no major price increases are expected.

SCHENGEN – As of Monday night, border checks between Bulgaria and Romania have been eliminated. With the accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area and with their land borders, starting with January 1 this year, it was decided that there will be increased checks at the border for six months. On July 1, 2025, it will be 40 years since the beginning of the free movement of people and goods in the European Union, known as the Schengen Area. “This achievement is today faced with challenges that we must overcome together, the most important being the Union’s external borders, migration and smuggling”, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, said. (EE)