November 7, 2025 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 07.11.2025, 20:06

UNESCO – Romania has been elected a full member of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO, for a 4-year mandate. The Romanian Embassy to UNESCO says that the mandate allows Romania to participate in decisions regarding education, science, culture and communication at the international level and to contribute to the implementation of the organization’s program until 2029. Having the opportunity to get directly involved in international projects and initiatives, Romania will support the protection of cultural heritage, the promotion of education and science, as well as freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, the cited source also said.

DEFENSE – The decision of the US Department of Defense, to withdraw 700 US troops from Romania, undermines US commitments to Europe and the North Atlantic Alliance and President Donald Trump’s own commitment to achieving lasting peace in Ukraine, 20 US congressmen said in a letter sent to the Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Thursday. They said Russian drone incursions into Poland, overflights of Estonia and Romania, and Moscow’s use of hybrid warfare against NATO demonstrate that the Russian threat is enduring. They also said that Romania has consistently met NATO requirements and has been a robust and highly competent host for the US military. “In addition to its contributions to the defense of the Black Sea and hosting the US Aegis Ashore missile defense detachment, Bucharest has demonstrated an ongoing determination to support NATO’s collective defense,” the US congressmen said in the letter. They believe that as the US administration seeks to secure lasting peace in Ukraine, it is vital that the US shows strength in the face of Russian aggression. “We strongly urge a reconsideration of this decision and an explanation to Congress and relevant committees of how the Pentagon intends to strengthen the transatlantic relationship and continue its commitments to the NATO alliance,” the 20 congressmen also said.

POVERTY – The relative poverty rate in Romania was, in 2024, 19%, the number of poor people corresponding to this rate being 3,595,000, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Poverty is the situation of those people whose incomes are so low that it is impossible for them to achieve a standard of living considered acceptable in the society in which they live, who face multiple disadvantages related to unemployment, low incomes, poor housing conditions, inadequate health care and barriers to access to education, culture, sports and leisure, the INS specifies. The poverty rate was higher among women than men, but the difference was only 0.1%. The highest incidence of poverty is found among children under 18 years of age and young people aged 18-24. The highest poverty rates were recorded in the South-West Oltenia, South-East and North-East regions, and the lowest in Bucharest-Ilfov region.

PARTIES – The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Sorin Grindeanu, was elected, with a large majority, the new president of the Social Democratic Party, which is part of the ruling coalition in Romania. The party needs a firm ideological line and a clear economic vision, said Grindeanu. In the congress held Friday, the PSD increased the number of members in the leadership of the party. Thus, Grindeanu’s leadership team is made up of 5 first vice-presidents and 20 vice-presidents, of which 8 by region and 12 by field of activity. The PSD also changed its statute, eliminating the terms progressive political party and introducing the terms party promoting national, religious and traditional values. Commentators believe that this change is an attempt by the social democrats to recover some of the electorate lost to the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, a sovereignist party in opposition in the Bucharest Parliament.

MOLDOVA – The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, traveled to Chişinău where she met with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Metsola said that she was proud to announce the establishment of the EP Bureau in the Republic of Moldova and reiterated political support for the Republic’s accession to the European Union. The European official also said that the Republic of Moldova has demonstrated “courage, determination and political maturity” in its European journey and that the EU is ready to do “absolutely everything” to support it in opening accession negotiations. In turn, Maia Sandu thanked the MEPs for supporting the Republic of Moldova in the EU accession process and for approving financial support. She stressed that Moldovan citizens have chosen Europe several times this year, in referendums and parliamentary elections, and that the European future of the Moldovan state is a reality in the making. In Chisinau, the President of the European Parliament also had meetings with the President of the Parliament, Igor Grosu, and with Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu.

PENSIONS – The Romanian Government did not request the opinion of the Higher Council of Magistracy (CSM) regarding the reform of magistrates’ pensions within the time frame provided by law, explained the Constitutional Court of Romania in the motivation of the unconstitutionality decision, adopted on October 20. The judges say that the Executive should have requested this opinion after August 28, when the project had a final form, and not on August 22, when the normative act was in public consultation. In addition, the CSM did not benefit from the 30 days in which it should have issued the consultative opinion, since on September 3 the Government assumed responsibility before the Parliament for the 1st package of fiscal-budgetary measures, of which this draft law is also part. The 4 constitutional magistrates who voted against the Constitutional Court decision had a separate opinion, in which they stated that the Government had taken all necessary steps to obtain the CSM’s opinion, especially since it was engaged in a rapid legislative procedure. They say that the CSM was the institution that obstructed the process. As the majority of magistrates decided that this was the aspect that was unconstitutional, the Court stopped the analysis of the arguments invoked by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and declared the law unconstitutional in its entirety.

NEGOTIATIONS – The parties in the ruling coalition in Bucharest are approaching a compromise regarding the project to modify the retirement system of magistrates, said the Romanian President, Nicuşor Dan. He said that next week he will have a meeting with the leaders of the parties in the government to discuss this issue, but also about the budget for next year. Attending an event organized by the Concordia Employers’ Confederation, the president said that the reform of the pensions of magistrates can be done by November 28, the deadline set by the European Commission, which, if exceeded, could deprive the country of millions of euros in European funds. President Dan also made clarifications regarding the increase in the minimum wage in the economy, which he said is a matter of economic balance. He believes that the decision must be weighed carefully because a possible increase could take many companies out of the market and implicitly contribute to the increase in unemployment. (EE)