October 8, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 08.10.2025, 13:55
COURT – The Constitutional Court of Romania has postponed until October 20 the notification of the High Court of Cassation of Justice regarding the law on magistrates’ pensions. According to the normative act, for which the Government has taken responsibility in Parliament, the length of service required for the retirement of magistrates increases from 25 to 35 years, and the pension is reduced from 100% to 70% of the last net remuneration. The reform also stipulates a 10-year transition period, after which retirement will be at 65 years. Also today, the CCR rejected the notification of the opposition parties AUR, S.O.S. and POT regarding the Law for the amendment and completion of certain normative acts and for the establishment of certain measures in the field of health and decided that it complies with the provisions of the fundamental law. However, the constitutional judges postponed, for the October 20th session, a decision on two other complaints filed by the aforementioned parties regarding two laws from the second package of measures for which the Bucharest Government assumed responsibility. These are the law on the corporate governance of public enterprises and the law on the establishment of measures to streamline public resources.
NOBEL – The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Japan’s Susumu Kitagawa, Australia’s Richard Robson and Jordan’s Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of metal-organic frameworks,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has announced. Last year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to American David Baker and a tandem of Briton Demis Hassabis and American John Jumper, for deciphering the secrets of proteins with the help of artificial intelligence and computer science. The Nobel season continues on October 9 with the literature prize and on October 10 with the peace prize. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences will be announced on October 13. The awards will be presented to the laureates at a special ceremony to be held on December 10.
DIPLOMACY – Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu is visiting the United States, where she is to hold consultations today with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The agenda announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also includes a meeting with representatives of member companies of the Romanian-American Business Council. According to an analysis of economic relations between the two countries, conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania, based on data from the National Bank of Romania, the National Institute of Statistics and Eurostat, the number of American companies in Romania has grown steadily in recent years, as has the number of jobs they provide, and the US is the largest non-European investor in Romania.
EUROSTAT – Romania ranks second to last in the European Union in terms of the number of cars per thousand inhabitants, 444 cars last year, compared to 357 in 2019. According to the European Statistical Office, Romania is recording the fastest growth in the car fleet, from 6.9 million cars in 2019 to 8.45 million in 2025. However, Romania has the second oldest car fleet in the EU, 36% of all registered cars still in circulation being over 20 years old. Neglecting to scrap old cars is something also observed in Estonia or Finland, countries that have recorded a deterioration in the age of the car fleet.
WEATHER – 42 localities in 16 counties in southern and eastern Romania have been affected by severe weather. Over 10,000 people in several localities in Prahova county were without electricity this morning due to the weather, as there is a code orange alert for heavy rain in place in that area. In Bucharest, where there is also a code red warning, a tree fell on a moving car. There were two people in the car who got out alone, and after being assisted by the emergency services, they refused to go to the hospital. In the counties where a code red alert is in place, schools are closed today.
CEI – Romania is set to take over from Serbia, on January 1, 2026, the presidency of the Central European Initiative, a regional cooperation format that brings together 16 states, 9 of which are EU members. During its mandate, Romania aims to contribute to accelerating the integration process of the candidates into the EU bloc, to boosting regional energy, transport and digital cooperation, to intensifying political dialogue between participants and economic cooperation. Romania previously held the presidency of the CEI in 2009.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea plays today against the Chinese Shuai Zhang in the second round of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Wuhan (China). Cîrstea and Zhang are tied in head-to-head matches, 2-2. Also today, Romanian player Jaqueline Cristian meets Kazakh player Elena Rîbakina, the eighth seed, in the second round of the tournament.
