In January - February 2025, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 4,809 million, compared with EUR 2,600 million, 85% higher, in the first two months of 2024, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) informs in a press release on Friday.The breakdown shows that the deficit on trade in goods widened by EUR 1,502 million, the surplus on services fell by EUR 187 million, the primary income deficit increased by EUR 93 million, while the secondary income surplus decreased by EUR 427 million.In January - February 2025, total external debt rose by EUR 3,394 million to EUR 208,287 million, of which: long-term external debt at end-February 2025 ran at EUR 158,505 million (76.1 percent of total external debt), up 2.3 percent against end-2024; short-term external debt at end-February 2025 amounted to EUR 49,782 million (23.9 percent of total external debt), down 0.2 percent from end-2024.Long-term external debt service ratio stood at 10.6 percent in January - February 2025 against 19.6 percent in 2024. At end-February 2025, goods and services import cover ran at 5.9 months, as compared to 5.7 months at end-2024.At end-February 2025, the ratio of the National Bank of Romania's foreign exchange reserves to short-term external debt by remaining maturity came in at 99.5 percent, as against 99.1 percent at end-2024.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, congratulated Pope Leo XIV for succeeding Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8. He expressed confidence that the new pope will continue to promote "the spirit of dialogue, peace, and cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church." "In a world facing multiple spiritual, economic, and […]
The organizers of the Untold festival announced they will offer a RON 150 (EUR 30) voucher toward the purchase of a festival pass to anyone who votes on May 18, during the second round of the presidential elections. In an online message, Untold representatives emphasized the connection between civic participation and the future of every […]
The Open Streets program, which sees the city's major arteries close for car traffic and become pedestrian areas, returns this weekend with a program of exhibitions, concerts, and a Festival of Lights. On Saturday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m., the public is invited to the Made in Romania exhibition, which presents a selection of civilian […]
Joseph Stiglitz, the famous economist and professor at Columbia University in New York, and winner of the Nobel Prize in economy in 2001, told an audience in Cluj, Romania, that governments must stimulate exports and key sectors when facing deficits. Stiglitz was in Romania on Thursday, May 8, to receive the title of Doctor Honoris […]
The Constitutional Court unanimously validated on Friday, May 9, the results of the first round of the presidential elections. It also rejected as unfounded a request to annul the elections filed by Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, the presidential candidate of the New Romania Party, it announced. The runoff, set for May 18, will see ultranationalist leader George […]
Bucharest's culinary scene welcomes back OLEA, the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel's celebrated Mediterranean destination, now reimagined with a fresh concept that blends authentic coastal flavours with contemporary sophistication. Following an extensive transformation, OLEA reopens its doors to offer guests a refined journey through the Mediterranean's sun-drenched culinary traditions, right in the heart of Romania's […]
