Monday, January 13 2025

Romania’s cancelled presidential elections should go ahead, AUR protesters said

Organised by Romania’s far-right AUR party (Alliance for the Union of Romanians), a protest on Sunday called for the presidential ballot to go ahead and the resignation of Romania’s center-right President Klaus Iohannis. However, most of the protests were peaceful, according to Romanian Police sources. “Protests maintained a peaceful and civilised manner as no major incidents were recorded”, Marius Militaru, a spokesperson of Romania’s Gendarmerie told Radio Romania. The cancellation came after frontrunner Călin Georgescu, an independent candidate critic of NATO and the EU who praised the Russian President Vladimir Putin, benefited from an unfair campaign supposedly orchestrated by Russia.

New treasury bonds issued by Romania’s Finance Ministry

Romania’s Finance Ministry is expected to issue new treasury bonds on Monday as Radio Romania’s Adriana Leu reports. Unlike bank deposits, the new bonds come with record interest rates and tax-free profits. The maturity date is established between one, three and five years with an annual interest rate at 7, 7.5, and 7.8 percent. Such bonds are available until February 6. The bonds are available both online or at the headquarters of State Treasury units or post offices across the country. Typically, long-term bonds carry higher yields than short-term ones. According to Standard & Poor’s agency, Romania’s credit rating is BBB-.

Bucharest National Arena profits in decline

Earnings from events at Bucharest’s National Arena hit around 1.2 million euros last year including concerts, football and other sport events, according to a statement of Bucharest Mayor Nucușor Dan issued on social media on Sunday. The money come from 43 events, including 29 football matches as part of domestic and international chanpionships and three concerts – two by the British rock band Coldplay and one by the British singer and song-writer Ed Sheeran. However, maintaining costs were three times higher than revenues as Natioanl Arena expenses hit some 3.5 million euros. The retractable roof football stadium opened in 2011 and it was built on the site of the original August 23 Stadium demolished between 2007 and 2008. With its 55,634 seats, National Arena is the largest stadium in Romania.

Alexandru Danga