USAID, with bipartisan Congressional support, is supporting new locally-driven initiatives in Central Europe with the goal of strengthening democratic institutions, civil society, and independent media, which are all pillars of resilient democratic societies. These programs will be implemented by a coalition of partners with deep knowledge of the region, experience in providing tailored support to local communities, and a commitment to internationally-recognized best practices to support democracy. Local ownership is the key to the USAID programming in Central Europe which was recently launched. USAID will work with local and diverse organizations, putting local stakeholders in charge of the process to identify needs, design and implement solutions, and monitor results. In Central Europe, USAID is proud to support local partners in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to: Increase the capacity of civil society to strengthen democratic principles and empower citizens to protect fundamental freedoms. Strengthen the competitiveness, financial independence, and sustainability of the independent media sector. Build the watchdog skills of civil society and media to enhance rule of law observance, combat corruption, and increase access to justice. Increase civic engagement through collective action of citizens to strengthen democratic systems. The Biden-Harris Administration has made clear that bolstering democracy in the United States and around the world is essential to meeting the unprecedented challenges of our time. USAID activities in Central Europe are rooted in our shared democratic commitments to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and adherence to the rule of law enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and Charter of Paris for a New Europe, to which the U.S., Central European, and other countries committed as participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. (Source: Public Diplomacy – Press Office, U.S. Embassy-Bucharest )
A new CURS poll published on Sunday, June 29, shows that if local elections were held in Bucharest next Sunday, reformist party USR would obtain 27%, followed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 22%, and far-right party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) with 18%. The National Liberal Party (PNL) comes in fourth, […]
Last week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest indicted three individuals for an EUR 100 million fraud in a case involving both EU and national funds. Among those indicted is an Italian citizen, alleged to be the leader of the group, which operated between 2019 and 2024. The suspect was detained on February […]
The number of building permits for residential buildings increased by 0.6% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with 14,134 such permits issued, according to data published Monday by the National Institute of Statistics. Increases were recorded in the Western region (+166 permits), Center (+70), North-West (+68), South-East […]
Cluj-Napoca, a major city in Romania’s Transylvania region, is taking a step toward becoming a more animal-friendly city, as a new proposal allowing pets in public institutions has been opened for public debate. Mayor Emil Boc announced the initiative, stating, “A city that is friendly to animals is a better city for people.” The draft […]
The president of S.O.S. Romania, Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă, announced on Monday, June 30, that three senators were expelled from the party, effectively disbanding the party’s group in the Senate. According to the Romanian Parliament’s regulations, a party must have more than seven members to establish a group in the Senate. With the expulsion of the […]
Chinese social media platform TikTok has reportedly opened a branch in Romania, following public criticism, along with governmental and EU-level scrutiny, after Romania’s last presidential elections. The local company is called Tik Tok Romania, has a share capital of RON 5,000, and provides other IT-related service activities. It will be managed by Laura Andreea Savu, […]
