November 19, 2025
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 19.11.2025, 13:55
INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in the European Union fell to 2.5% in October, from 2.6% the previous month, and Romania is still the country with the highest inflation rate, with an annual price advance of 8.4%, according to data published on Wednesday by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). Last month, the EU member states with the lowest annual inflation rates were Cyprus, France and Italy. At the opposite pole, the EU countries with the highest inflation rates were Romania, Estonia and Latvia. Also, the annual inflation rate in the euro area fell to 2.1% in October, from 2.2% the previous month. In the case of Romania, according to data previously published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the annual inflation rate in October stood at 9.8%.
DIPLOMACY – Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu is participating today, in Rome, in a session of the Italy-Romania strategic dialogue on foreign policy and security issues. This expert-level consultation will focus on the current security challenges in the European Union and NATO, in the context of the crisis in Ukraine. Also today, Italian companies will discuss with Romanian representatives the prospect of collaboration in post-war reconstruction projects in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Minister Oana Ţoiu held talks with her Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani and highlighted Italy’s contribution to NATO and to air policing missions, which are increasingly important on the Eastern flank. The head of Romanian diplomacy also met with Romanian entrepreneurs in Italy. Last year, bilateral trade exceeded 20 billion euros.
MAGISTRATES – The ruling coalition made up by PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR is preparing the final form of the draft law on the reform of the special pensions that judges and prosecutors currently benefit from, so that the document can be adopted by the Romanian government on Thursday. The leaders of the ruling parties have said that they are no longer willing to accept magistrates’ demands, which they see as exaggerated. The result of a final discussion between President Nicuşor Dan and representatives of the Higher Council of Magistracy is still awaited. At present, the option is being considered for the magistrates’ pensions to be a maximum of 70% of the salary, but for the transition period to be changed from 10 to 15 years during which their retirement age would increase to the standard one in Romania, which is 65. After the draft law is approved, it will be sent to the Supreme Council of Magistracy (CSM) for a consultative, but binding, opinion. The leaders of the ruling coalition hope that the CSM’s response will arrive in time, so that Romania does not lose money from Brussels. The reform of the special pensions of magistrates is a milestone in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
DRONE – Two German Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase in southeastern Romania, serving as the Reinforced Air Police, took off Tuesday night to monitor air security at the border with Ukraine, following Russian air attacks near the border with Romania. At the same time, two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft took off from the 71st Air Base in Câmpia Turzii (center). The mission took place after, for a few minutes, the signal of a drone was detected, that penetrated approximately 8 km into Romanian national airspace. The drone also flew over an area in the Republic of Moldova. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, no impact with the ground of any aircraft has been reported.
BOARDS – The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest voted on Tuesday for the new Boards of Directors of the public Radio and Television stations. They each have 13 members from the parliamentary groups, national minorities, the president of the country, the Government and the employees. After taking the oath, the members of the Boards of Directors designated the candidates for the positions of president and general director. At the public TV station (TVR), the nomination is Adriana Săftoiu, proposed by the government, while at Radio Romania, the nomination is Robert Schwartz, from the USR. At the same time, the Parliament voted to appoint Adrian Țuțuianu, from the PSD, to the leadership of the Permanent Electoral Authority.
FOOTBALL – The Romanian national team defeated San Marino 7-1 on Tuesday night in its last match, played at home, in Group H of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Romania thus finished the qualifiers in third place in the group, after Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is followed by Cyprus and San Marino. The winners of the 12 preliminary groups qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup. The other four available places will be fought for by the 12 second-placed teams in the groups and the best-placed group winners from the 2024-25 Nations League, which did not make it through the qualifiers. As the Romanian national team won the Nations League group, they will find out on Thursday, after the draw, their opponent in the semi-finals of the play-off for next year’s World Cup qualification. (EE)
