November 28, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 28.11.2025, 20:15
RESIGNATION The Save Romania Union Minister of Defense in the four-party government in Bucharest, Ionuţ Moşteanu, has stepped down. “I am making this gesture with responsibility and respect for the Romanian Army,” the outgoing minister wrote on a social network on Friday. His resignation comes after the press denounced the inconsistencies in his resume, a scandal that led several politicians to ask him to step down. His first public 2016 resume, included a degree obtained at Athenaeum University, an institution that denied that the politician had ever been its student. Romania’s President Nicusor Dan on Friday designated the incumbent Economy Minister, Radu Miruţă, as interim.
LAW Romania’s Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, estimates the new law on the magistrates pensions will be endorsed on December 2. According to him, the procedure of assuming responsibility in Parliament has been kicked off after the draft was formally adopted in an Executive sitting on Friday, right on the last day of the deadline for the implementation of the aforementioned law pledged by the Romanian authorities in the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience, PNRR. A 231 million Euro instalment hinges on meeting this goal and the Prime Minister has voiced hope these funds are not going to be lost. He has again mentioned the provisions: a maximum cap set at 70% of their final net salary, an increased service time, from 25 years at present to 35 and also a raised retirement age from 48-50 years at present to 65 years. The draft had been previously rejected by the country’s Constitutional Court as the government failed to get the correct approvals from the Superior Court of Magistracy.
BUDGET The Romanian government on Friday endorsed the second budget adjustment this year, which is based on an economic growth of 0.6%, a GDP level of 1,902 billion lei, an annual inflation rate of 7.1% and an average gross monthly pay of 87 hundred lei. The adjustment stipulates a rise in the state budget income of 2.1 billion lei and an expense cut of 2.7 billion lei. The ministries of Health, Transport and Agriculture will be getting more money, whereas the ministries of Finances, Investment and European projects, Economy, and the Public Ministry, the Labour Ministry and the Service of Special Telecommunications have seen their funds cut.
FAIR The city of Craiova, in southern Romania, outperformed other cities such as Strasbourg, Vienna and Dresden and has this year been awarded the first prize in the ranking of the most beautiful Christmas Fairs annually staged by the European Best Destinations, a travel site, which is the European Commission’s official partner. It has mustered 142 votes from 140 countries and boasted 56 thousand votes more than the runner-up. At the same time Craiova secured the title of ‘the most beautiful Christmas market in Europe’ from a panel of travelers, outperforming famous destinations, such as Zurich, Riga or Lisbon. ‘Craiova delivered a historic performance, with a result never seen in two decades of competition. The Romanian city achieved a dominating position, supported by an exceptional international involvement, and the number of votes obtained by Craiova is an absolute record,” says the European Best Destinations in a communiqué. The fair opened its gates on November 14, and can be visited until January 4, 2026.
WIN Romania’s national handball side clinched a win in their first Group A match at the World Women’s Handball Championship in the Netherlands and Germany: 33-24 against Croatia, in Rotterdam on Thursday. According to Romanian sports press, the Romanians played wildly after the break and won without emotion. Goalkeeper Iulia Dumanska, a Ukrainian naturalized in Romania, was declared the player of the match. Romania will be taking on Japan on Saturday, and on Monday, December 1, and National Day in Romania, they will be up against Denmark. Romania has participated in all editions of the World Women’s Handball Championship, winning gold medals in 1962, silver in 1973 and 2005, bronze in 2015.
(bill)
