Romanian political parties directed 53% of their RON 174 million (EUR 35 million) in public subsidies during January-August towards media and propaganda expenses, according to a report published by the Expert Forum (EFOR) on October 1. The watchdog estimates that by the end of 2025, total party subsidies will reach RON 284 million (EUR 57 million). The report comes despite previous commitments by prime minister Ilie Bolojan to reduce state financing for political parties. Although Bolojan recently mentioned a possible 10% cut, the latest budget revision maintained current subsidy levels without any decrease. According to EFOR, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) allocated the largest sums to propaganda. PSD spent RON 75.8 million in total, with 81% of this dedicated exclusively to press and propaganda contracts. PNL devoted RON 9.1 million, a third of its expenses, to similar activities. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) allocated 53% of its spending - RON 16 million - to media contracts, and an additional RON 1.8 million for producing and broadcasting advertising spots. In contrast, the Save Romania Union (USR) directed only 20% of its outlays, or RON 4.9 million, to press and propaganda, with most funds going to personnel costs. SOS Romania reported minimal spending on propaganda, just RON 12,500, focusing instead on political activities and travel. EFOR criticised party leaders for refusing to disclose details of their media and propaganda contracts. “The behaviour of political leaders is regrettable given their reluctance to provide transparency over the use of public money,” the organisation said, noting that although Law 544/2001 does not oblige parties to publish this information proactively, they could do so voluntarily. The report warned that parties often adopt a confrontational stance towards journalists asking about their spending, despite the reliance on taxpayer funding.
The first edition of the event "Energy for Romania ”, organized by the Electrica Group and the Electrica Foundation, took place at Hala Filaret, the site of the first power plant in Bucharest. It brought together over 150 participants, including representatives from the public authorities, leaders from the energy sector, the capital market, academia, and […]
Andrei Găluț, the lead singer of the band Goodbye to Gravity, which was on stage when the fire broke out in the Colectiv club on October 2015, launched a new project honoring the victims of the tragedies that have marked Romania over the past decade. The Memento Project, created as a charitable project together with […]
71% of people worldwide support Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), with trust at record highs, paving the way for circular systems that keep infinitely recyclable materials like drink cans in the loop. ● Romania is among the fastest DRS adopters, with 9 in 10 people participating and 77% supporting the system. ● 71% of Romanians feel […]
Romania’s construction sector accounted for almost 8% of GDP over the past four quarters, the highest share across the entire European Union, according to Eurostat data analysed by investment company Colliers. This level is well above the EU-27 average of 5%. Moreover, Romania recorded the second-fastest post-pandemic growth in construction activity within the European Union, according […]
Romanian women who went abroad to work found it disproportionately harder to find work in their country compared to the men, according to data from a European study conducted by Save the Children Romania. Parents in the study sample have been abroad for an average of six years, both mothers and fathers, and 67% of […]
Bucharest’s ARCUB Cultural Center will open The Art of the Game (TAG) on November 8 - a large-scale cultural event dedicated to video games and related arts. Curated by Elvira Lupșa, the four-month exhibition and event series will run until March 1, 2026, at ARCUB - Hanul Gabroveni, featuring workshops, talks and multimedia performances. The […]
