December 9, 2025
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 09.12.2025, 13:55
VISIT Romanian President Nicusor Dan is today received in Paris by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. Talks are expected to focus on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the field of defence, on carrying on support for Ukraine, the fight against misinformation and strengthening democracy in Europe. According to a communiqué by the French presidency, this first official visit to France by the Romanian president after his election in May, underlines the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries within a common European agenda. Radio Romania correspondent in Paris is noting that besides the bilateral issues high on the agenda, the two presidents are going to prepare together the European Council proceedings due in Brussels next week mainly focusing on issues related to competitiveness and economy. Also on Tuesday President Dan met representatives of the French companies and the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. Nicusor Dan also participated in the inauguration ceremony of the ‘Nicolae Titulescu’ Alley in Monceau Park in Paris. Born in 1882 Nicolae Titulescu was a remarkable political figure, jurist and professor and also the most important diplomat in Romania’s history. He served as Romania’s Foreign Minister for several mandates and was the only president of the Nations League to have served for two consecutive mandates. The Romanian president also met representatives of the Romanian community in France at the Romanian Embassy in Paris on Monday. He pledged that the presidential administration will be an interface between the Romanians abroad and those at home, so that this cooperation may be successful on long term.
DECISION An increasing number of Romanian physicians are willing to come back to Romania encouraged by the improved medical infrastructure and raised sponsorship. However, their return is being hindered by bureaucratic procedures, which in some cases lasted one year. The Health Ministry is presently working on a decision aimed at simplifying the procedures for the repatriation of the Romanian physicians who worked abroad and at reducing the time for having their certificates and professional competences recognized. The project is to be put up for decisional transparency in the following period.
SURVEY Almost eight out of ten Romanian companies are investing and most of them are planning to expand their capabilities, but the general feeling is more pessimistic than in the European Union, says the latest survey on investment released by the European Investment Bank on Tuesday. According to this survey, 78% of the Romanian companies reported increased investment in the past year as compared to the previous years, but investment is still under the EU average of 86%. However, 44% of the Romanian companies have announced their intention to focus on increasing output in the following three years, a significantly higher value than the EU average of 26%. The survey also says the Romanian enterprises are open to change although they are facing a wide variety of pressures, from the geo-political ones and disruptions in the supply lines to climate risks and stricter regulations.
VOTE A no-confidence vote initiated by the populist opposition against the pro-European coalition government headed by the Liberal Ilie Bolojan has today been presented to Parliament in Bucharest. In the document titled ‘Romania is not for sale, no more progressists ruling the country’, the signatories are criticizing the government, which they said was unable to properly handle finances, healthcare, education, social protection, justice and public administration. The ruling parties, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR, said they would not support the censure motion, which is to be debated upon and voted on Monday.
TALKS The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will today go to Rome after the talks he held in London and Brussels with key European allies over the peace agreement proposed by the USA. The Europeans’ message is that the sovereignty of Ukraine must be respected and its security must get long-term guarantees as a first defence line for the European Union. Zelensky said it was vital that Ukraine, Europe and America remain united. After the talks he held in London with European leaders, Zelensky underlined that he had no moral and legal rights to cede any Ukrainian territories to Moscow. The territorial issue is a central point of the US-brokered peace talks underway, AFP reports. Zelensky has said the Ukrainian and European officials will work together over a version of the plan proposed by the US negotiators.
WEATHER Romania is presently enjoying warmer weather than the period’s average with an overcast sky in the north-west, center and some regions in the south. Insignificant showers are expected in the north and north-east and mixed precipitations in the mountains. The highs of the day range between 5 and 14 degrees Celsius with a noon reading in Bucharest of 7 degrees.
(bill)
