December 5, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 05.12.2025, 13:55
BY-ELECTION In Romania, today is the last of the 15 days of the campaign for the local by-elections of December 7. In addition to the mayor general of Bucharest, a post left vacant after the former mayor, Nicușor Dan, won the presidential election, voting is underway for the chair of the Buzău County Council and for the mayor seats in 12 localities.
JUDICIARY Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice decides today whether to refer again to the Constitutional Court a bill reforming the magistrates’ retirement system, on which the Higher Council of Magistrates issued a negative opinion. The government has once again taken responsibility before Parliament on the draft law that sets a ceiling on the pensions of judges and prosecutors at 70% of the net salary received in the last month of work, and gradually increases their retirement age up to 65. The bill was previously challenged at the Constitutional Court, which invalidated it for procedural reasons, as the government had not waited for the opinion of the Higher Council of Magistrates. The reform of magistrates’ special pensions is a milestone in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
MOTION Opposition parties in Romania’s Parliament Friday tabled a no-confidence motion against the four-party coalition Cabinet led by the Liberal Ilie Bolojan. The initiators are MPs in a new group called “Peace, Romania First”, elected a year ago on the lists of the populist parties POT and SOS Romania. Officials for the pro-European ruling coalition say they are certain that the motion has no chance of passing in Parliament.
ECONOMY Romania’s economy grew by 0.8% in the first 9 months of the year compared to the corresponding period in 2024, according to data made public on Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INS). Constructions, with an 8.5% increase rate, agriculture with 6.8%, and communications and taxes with almost 3%, had positive contributions to this growth. The INS mentioned that the economic growth rate in the first 9 months was also due to household spending, which rose by 0.3%. In contrast, professional and scientific activities and administrative services, with a negative 3.7% rate, as well as industry, which decreased by 0.4%, had negative contributions to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product. Exports were also slightly weaker, while imports increased considerably.
WATER CRISIS Since the end of last week, over 100,000 residents in southern Romania have been provided drinking water and water for household needs from the National Reserve. The emptying of a dam for repairs has led to major disruptions in the supply of drinking water to households, schools, hospitals and businesses in the area. The healthcare minister Alexandru Rogobete warned that unless water is supplied in a centralised system as of early next week, critical units in the county risk not being able to operate, and stressed that tests are regularly carried out in hospitals, in order to prevent an epidemiological event.
BOOK FAIR The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair continues in Bucharest, with over 90 events scheduled on Friday. Over 180 publishing houses, Romanian and foreign book agencies, university publishing houses and higher education institutions present their products during the 5 days of the Fair. The honorary president of this year’s edition is the journalist, writer and foreign policy analyst Sabina Fati.
HANDBALL Romania’s national women’s handball team takes on Senegal today in its second match in the main group I of the World Championship in Germany and the Netherlands. In the first match, Romania lost to Hungary and thus failed to qualify for the competition’s quarterfinals. On Sunday, the national team will play the last match in the main group against Switzerland, with the goal of ranking in the top 10 teams at the World Championship. Romania has participated in all editions of the Women’s Handball World Championship. (AMP)
