October 4, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 04.10.2025, 13:55
Economy. Romania has avoided defaulting on its payments thanks to the measures recently adopted by the government, against the backdrop of a budget deficit of over 9%, low revenues and excessive spending, said Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, 100 days since taking office. He again stressed that the measures adopted so far were necessary for Romania to regain financial credibility. He went on to list some of the priorities for the immediate period, including finalising the digitalisation of the tax collection body ANAF and the customs, combating tax evasion and undeclared work, and the reform of the central and local public administration. Among the measures aimed at ensuring more employees in the real economy, he mentioned raising the early retirement age, reducing the unemployment benefit period, discouraging unjustified sick leave, and stricter rules for social spending. Only through revenue collection and cuts in operating expenses will we achieve balanced budgets and be able to finance investments to create conditions for development, the Prime Minister emphasised. He also said that economic development will be based on a series of principles, but that energy security must first be ensured, which will be achieved through the completion of hydropower and thermal power plants that are in advanced stages of construction.
Exercise. The Romanian Air Forces are carrying out complex missions across the country until next Friday, as part of the BUREBISTA 25 exercise. The missions involve the coordinated use of all air and ground weapons systems. In order to respond effectively to current challenges, the military are training based on scenarios of air defence of certain targets and prevention and reaction to hostile enemy actions to ensure the security of the national airspace. Also, between October 20 and November 13, over 5,000 military personnel from ten NATO allied states will participate in the multinational exercise DACIAN FALL 2025 (DAFA 25), hosted by Romania and Bulgaria. According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence in Bucharest, the soldiers, equipped with 1,200 technical means, come from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain. The exercise will take place simultaneously in the Romanian training ranges in Cincu, Smârdan, Capu Midia, Babadag, Bogată, Alba Iulia, Hanu Conachi, Giarmata, Cârţişoara, as well as in Novo Selo, in Bulgaria. The NATO exercises, including DACIAN FALL, are defensive in nature and are carried out in full compliance with the international obligations pledged by Romania, the Ministry of National Defence pointed out.
Drones. Munich airport in southern Germany resumed operations on Saturday morning after air traffic was suspended following drone sightings. Air traffic at Germany’s second-largest airport was suspended for a second consecutive night on Friday as a precaution after two drones were spotted in the area. Several flights were diverted or cancelled, and about 6,500 passengers were affected, the airport said. The incident comes after several unidentified drone intrusions were reported in Denmark and Norway last week, fuelling concerns about air safety in Europe and prompting European Union leaders to discuss the possibility of a “drone wall.”
Sports. Olympic vice-champion Mihaela Cambei from Romania won a gold and two silver medals in the 53 kg category on Friday at the World Weightlifting Championships hosted by Forde (in Norway), according to the competition’s website. Cambei, who was silver medallist at the 2024 Olympics in the 49 kg category, won the gold medal in the snatch event at Forde, and silver in the clean and jerk and on total. North Korean weightlifter Hyon-gyong Kang won the gold medals in the clean and jerk and on total. Romania has four athletes in action at the World Championships. Over 500 athletes from 93 countries are participating in the World Weightlifting Championships in Forde, the first international test ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games for seniors.
Weather. Bad weather wreaked havoc in dozens of localities across Romania, said the Genera Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. The intervention forces were dispatched to evacuate the water from numerous households and basements, to remove debris the roofs of dozens of buildings and to clear the fallen electricity poles and hundreds of trees. Many cars were damaged. Two trees collapsed in Bucharest over two cars that were in motion, and one person suffered injuries and was taken to the hospital. (CM)