September 17, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 17.09.2025, 13:55
BORDER – In Romania, the Entry/Exit System, a modern control tool at the external border of the Schengen Area, will become operational as of October 12. According to the General Inspectorate of Border Police, this is an electronic system that records the date and place of entry and exit of third-country nationals admitted for short-term stays, as well as their alphanumeric and biometric data (facial image and four fingerprints). At the same time, it calculates the authorized duration of stay. The Entry/Exit System does not restrict existing travel rights, but offers a faster and more secure verification mechanism, gradually replacing the stamping of travel documents, the authorities said.
GOVERNMENT – A meeting of the ruling coalition is expected to take place in Bucharest today to resume discussions on the local administration reform. This reform, desired but postponed, would be part of the fiscal-budgetary austerity measures already taken by the government to reduce the country’s large deficit. The leaders of the four political parties in power – PNL, PSD, USR and UDMR – would also discuss the effects of the possible elimination of the cap on basic foods, a measure that the Social Democrats do not support. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced that, at the end of this year, Romania’s budget deficit will exceed 8%, after last year it was higher than 9%. According to the Ministry of Finance, the deficit for the first 7 months of the year was almost 77 billion lei (about 15.4 billion euros), remaining at just over 4% of GDP, similar to the same period last year. The European Commission’s forecasts for the coming years also indicate that the fiscal imbalance will be maintained: 8.6% in 2025 and 8.4% in 2026.
CHILDREN – The artesian fountains in Union Square, in the center of Bucharest, will be illuminated in orange this evening to mark World Patient Safety Day. This year’s theme is “Safe care for every newborn and every child”, and the slogan is “Safe, from the first day of life!”. World Patient Safety Day is dedicated, in 2025, to ensuring the care of children, with special attention to those up to 9 years old. Orange is the color designated by the World Health Organization as the symbol of this Day.
DESINFORMATION – Romania was the favorite target of disinformation campaigns and hybrid warfare in the context of the 2024 presidential elections, said the Prosecutor General, Alex Florența, on Tuesday. He drew attention to the fact that players hostile to the country sought to influence public opinion and that the type of disinformation and the method of implementation correspond to Russia’s pattern of action, which, however, rejects the accusations. The Prosecutor General’s statements were made in the context of the indictment, also on Tuesday, of the former independent candidate in the canceled presidential elections last year, the sovereignist Călin Georgescu. He is accused of complicity in an attempt to commit actions against the constitutional order. Over 20 other people were prosecuted in the same case. Călin Georgescu alledgedly used hostile hybrid campaigns, winning the first round and being the favorite in the second round of the election. However, the Constitutional Court decided to cancel the entire presidential elections and organize them from scratch.
ENESCU – The 27th edition of the “George Enescu” International Festival is coming to an end. For almost a month, between August 24 and September 21, in Bucharest and throughout the country, the event had as its theme Anniversaries, in the context of the 70th anniversary of the death of the great Romanian composer. In addition to the daily concerts in performance halls, from today until Sunday, George Enescu Square in Bucharest, in front of the Romanian Athenaeum, is transformed into a space dedicated to music. Over 100 artists – soloists and members of famous orchestras – will take to the open-air stage to perform ten concerts, in a spectacular combination of classical music, rock, jazz and funk. Among the guests is the Radio Romania Big Band. Public access is free to all performances within the “George Enescu” Festival Square. (EE)
