July 3, 2025

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 03.07.2025, 13:55

Fiscal measures. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan presented the first package of fiscal measures that the executive wants to adopt to reduce Romania’s extremely large budget deficit. The package contains two VAT rates, 11% and 21%, provides for an increase in excise duties on fuel, alcohol and cigarettes, and freezes state salaries and pensions this year and next year. Pensions exceeding 3,000 lei (approximately 600 euros) will be subject to health contributions, specifically, any amount exceeding this sum will be taxed at 10%. The Prime Minister also announced a 16% increase in dividend tax and additional taxation on bank profits and gambling winnings. In education, the teaching load will increase by two hours compared to the current one, in pre-university and university education, and there will only be two types of scholarships – merit and welfare. Ilie Bolojan also said that by the end of this month, other measures will be adopted related to special pensions and state institutions through cost reductions and reorganisations. Also, state-owned companies will have their subsidies reduced and will be required to spend efficiently and perform well.

Consultations. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has held consultations with representatives of trade union confederations on government measures to reduce the budget deficit. Romania needs both structural measures to increase credibility in financial markets and among investors, as well as solutions to correct injustices and imbalances in order to rebuild the trust of our citizens, Bolojan said. He announced that the National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue will meet on Friday to continue the consultations. The measures that the executive intends to adopt have been criticised by trade unions and public sector employees. There have been spontaneous protests all week by workers at the Ministry of Finance, the Tax Authority, Romanian Waters National Adminisration, and court clerks. In turn, education unions are threatening to launch a general strike at the beginning of the school year in September.

4 July. The United States of America is Romania’s most important ally and strategic partner, said President Nicuşor Dan at a reception held at the American Embassy in Bucharest to mark the United States’ National Day on 4 July. The Romanian head of state recalled that the two countries have several major areas of ongoing cooperation, from strengthening air defence to the production of drones and ammunition. These represent more than just equipment and systems; they are a tangible demonstration of a shared commitment to collective defence and regional stability, said Nicuşor Dan, adding that the development of national defence capabilities will continue, as will the development of strategic infrastructure to enable the deployment, transit, stationing and hosting of US and other allied forces on national territory. The Romanian-American strategic partnership was mentioned by the chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy in Bucharest, Michael Dickerson, who recalled that this partnership is based on common democratic values, on a commitment to mutual economic growth in the field of trade and energy cooperation, in the field of security and defence, as well as deep and lasting human ties. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan also referred to the strategic partnership, based on trust, respect and common goals.

Firefighters. Romanian firefighters intervened on Wednesday to extinguish a vegetation fire in the Toulouges area, as part of their pre-positioning mission in France, with three special vehicles designed to extinguish fires and supply water to the intervention units. According to the risk forecast for Thursday in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, the risk of forest fires is moderate, so the national module will be deployed at strategic points to ensure a rapid and effective response in the event of a forest fire. The missions are carried out under the direct coordination of the French liaison officer and are intended to limit the spread of the fire to inhabited areas and to maintain a protective line between the fire front and the unaffected area.

Greece. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs Romanian citizens who are in, transiting or planning to travel to the Hellenic Republic that, according to the National Meteorological Service of Greece, in the coming days there will be an increased risk of fires, which could affect the forested areas of the country, due to high temperatures, lack of rainfall, low humidity and strong winds. Given the risks posed by fires, the Greek authorities warn that traffic on public roads may be restricted in the coming period. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Romanian citizens consult the website of the Greek Ministry of Civil Protection and Climate Crisis Management, as well as the official website of the Greek Police, which contains up-to-date information on road conditions. If Romanian citizens in Greece receive telephone alerts from the 112 Service, they are advised to follow the instructions received to avoid the affected areas or for evacuations organised by the authorities.

Extreme weather. The Romanian National Meteorological Administration (ANM) has issued an amber alert for heatwave and severe thermal discomfort, valid on Friday and Saturday in over half of the country, including Bucharest, as well as a yellow alert for extremely hot weather, covering the rest of the country during the same period. The amber code will be in place in counties in the west, north-west, south-west and centre. In these regions, the heatwave will intensify and the temperature-humidity index (THI) will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. Maximum temperatures will range between 37 and 40 degrees. A yellow warning has been issued for the south, east and south-east, where the highs range between 33 and 38 degrees. The THI will reach or slightly exceed the critical threshold of 80 units in these areas as well. The ANM specifies that the heatwave will recede on Saturday towards the southern half of Romania, and on Sunday it will intensify again in all regions.

Tennis. The Romanian-Russian pair Sorana Cîrstea/Ana Kalinskaia qualified for the second round of the women’s doubles at the Wimbledon Grand Slam tennis tournament after a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Angelica Moratelli (Italy)/Sabrina Santamaria (USA). Cîrstea and her partner will play in the second round against the winners of the match between Tereza Mihalikova (Slovakia)/Olivia Nicholls (Great Britain/No. 9) and Kamila Rahimova (Russia)/Anna Siskova (Czech Republic). Also in the first round, Romanian Gabriela Ruse and Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk won 6-4, 6-4 against Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia)/Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium). (MI)