September 26, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 26.09.2025, 20:00
BUDGET The draft of the first budget adjustment of this year, targeting a deficit of 8.4% of GDP, will be posted on Monday on the finance ministry website for public review. The announcement was made on Friday by the line minister, Alexandru Nazare, after talks with PM Ilie Bolojan on the updated calendar of the budget adjustment. The two officials spoke, among other things, about the major directions for the National Tax Administration and the Customs Authority, as institutions tasked to contribute to increasing tax collection and curbing tax evasion. According to the minister, the dialogue will continue in the coming days, and the adjustment bill will be passed by the end of next week. On a social network, Alexandru Nazare said the new allocation of public funds will cover all essential needs until the end of the year, namely expenditure with public pensions, salaries and social assistance. According to political sources, the largest amounts will be earmarked for the repayment of loans previously taken out by Romania, and for the payment of related interest. The main beneficiaries will be the ministry of transport and development for supporting investments, the labour ministry for financing social assistance, and the ministry of energy to pay its suppliers. Talks will resume on Monday within the ruling coalition, after which the Cabinet will pass the bill in a special meeting.
MOLDOVA The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, Friday sent a final message to her people ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary elections, in an attempt to mobilise voters to polling stations. She said that ‘good things are done with difficulty, and take decades. Bad things can come upon us overnight. Our actions and inactions always have consequences’. “Go to the vote, for yourselves and for Moldova,” Maia Sandu urged citizens. On Thursday, the European Union said the Republic of Moldova is facing an unprecedented disinformation campaign led by Russia in the run-up to the September 28 parliamentary elections. “This is not the first time that Russia has resorted to classic tactics of manipulation and disinformation, but today it is going much further,” the European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said. Sunday’s vote is viewed as crucial for the future of the former Soviet republic, which is mostly Romanian-speaking and has a population of about 2.5 million. Moldova gained its independence in 1991, and is caught between deepening its ties with the EU, which it is seeking to join, and returning to Russian influence. Moldovan citizens in Romania will be able to vote on Sunday in the 23 polling stations organized in the country.
HOSPITALS President Nicuşor Dan Friday called on the minister of healthcare and the government to develop a plan to fight hospital-acquired infections in Romania. ‘This has been overdue in the healthcare system and it can no longer be postponed,” the head of state emphasised in a social media post. According to him, “in Romania, hospital-acquired infections and outdated infrastructure endanger the lives of patients.” The message was sent after the media reported that several babies had died in recent days due to bacteria infection in a children’s hospital in Iasi (east). The healthcare minister Alexandru Rogobete ordered an inspection and the Iaşi Public Healthcare Directorate announced an investigation into the case.
LANGUAGES Like every year on September 26, the European Day of Languages was celebrated on Friday. Established in 2001, this celebration brings to the forefront the rich cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe through countless events, from shows and concerts, to musical games, foreign language courses and conferences, which attract millions of participants annually. The Romanian Cultural Institute joined in this celebration with a series of events organised these days in Bucharest and abroad. With 24 official languages and many dialects, Europe is one of the world’s most linguistically diverse continents.
MEDALS Romania has won further medals at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, China. The Romanian four made up of Ancuţa Bodnar, Geanina Juncănariu, Adriana Adam and Amalia Bereş became silver medalists in Shanghai. They came very close to the winning US boat in a race where New Zealand came in third. The Romanian men’s four, with Ştefan Berariu, Sergiu Bejan, Andrei Mândrilă and Ciprian Tudosă also came second in a race won by Britain, with the boat of the Netherlands in third place. Romania’s female and male doubles won gold and silver in Shanghai on Thursday. 12 crews are representing Romania in the present edition of the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai due over September 21-28. (AMP)
