Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. President Iohannis: Europe must take greater responsibility for...

President Iohannis: Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense

March 2, 2025

Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own defense in order to strengthen our strategic resilience, President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday. The head of state is taking part in informal meeting of EU leaders. The leaders discuss military capabilities and the European defense industry.In this sense, Iohannis evoked the need for adequate financing seen not only as the allocation of more money, but also as the efficient use of the tools we already have.Regarding defense, the President of Romania emphasized the need for complementarity between the European Union and NATO.   President Klaus Iohannis also said that the EU believes in increasing defence spending and in this respect "Romania has set a good example".The head of state is attending the informal European Council meeting on defence."I think such an informal meeting is also good, because we need to reach some common points and we need to have a common approach. Romania's position has been very clear for a long time. I have expressed it, I have said it publicly both at home and in Brussels. We believe that defence spending must be increased and I think Romania has set a good example. We have reached 2.5% of GDP. On the other hand, it is clear that we need to work much better together. The defence industries in the EU must work together much better," the president said.Klaus Iohannis called for "standardization, so that we do not have dozens of types of weapons".He also advocated additional common funding."How this can be achieved, of course, remains open. Some propose that certain expenses be included in the European funds, in the MFF, others propose that everyone should pay for their own defence, but here, obviously, we need to find out how to finance, how to collaborate, and how to standardize, if we want to have a much more solid European defence," said Klaus Iohannis.He also reiterated that Romania does not support the idea of a separate European defence."It is very important not to lose sight of the fact that we defend ourselves by being NATO members, and Romania does not accept discussions on a separate European defence or in parallel with what we do in NATO, because that would not work. The European Commission has been given the task of coming up with a White Paper on defence and we will have a discussion on defence at the European Council in June. We may already have some conclusions by then and it would be good, today, for the discussions to already lead to the first lines of action," president Klaus Iohannis added.  (Photo: www.presidency.ro)

Read in full - click here
Majority of Romanian CFOs say they now need constantly updated financial forecasts

Roughly 8 out of 10 chief financial officers, or CFOs, from Romania’s largest companies say they now need constantly updated financial forecasts, unlike previous years when the focus was primarily on financial results, budgeting, and accounting, according to Inulta, a company specializing in Corporate and Enterprise Performance Management. The forecasts come to offer a degree […]

Romanian authorities seize assets of mercenary Horațiu Potra in tax evasion case

Romanian prosecutors have placed a precautionary seizure on the accounts and assets of the mercenary Horațiu Potra, in a case of tax evasion, embezzlement, and money laundering. The measure targets over RON 24 million, nearly 30 kilograms of gold, a property in Bucharest, and 11 properties and apartments in Sibiu.  According to investigators cited by […]

Romanian car brand Dacia makes impressive entry in European SUV market with Bigster model

The first sales figures from two of the largest European markets, France and Germany, both major markets for the Dacia brand, show that the debut of the carmaker's largest SUV, the Bigster, has been impressive.  June data on car registrations in Germany show that the Dacia Bigster managed to sell 1,227 units in its second […]

MerchantPro Compass H1 2025: eCommerce holds steady under pressure, with +2% growth and a shift toward efficiency

After a 2024 marked by adaptation and consolidation, Romanian eCommerce entered 2025 with a more restrained dynamic. According to MerchantPro Compass, the biannual analysis conducted by MerchantPro, a SaaS eCommerce platform supporting over 2,000 active online stores—the first half of this year confirms a paradigm shift: it’s no longer about how much you sell, but […]

TIFF Unlimited Caravan sets off across Romania with outdoor screenings and premieres

The TIFF Unlimited Caravan is hitting the road for the 16th consecutive year, bringing a diverse selection of Romanian and international films to audiences across the country. From July to September 2025, the traveling film series will stop in ten towns and cities, offering outdoor and indoor screenings of comedies, love stories, and family-friendly films. […]

Report: Home sales decreased in Romania in H1, even larger decrease in Bucharest

Home sales decreased by 3.4% in Romania in the first six months of 2025 when compared to the result registered in the same period last year. Sales were down 7.9% in Bucharest and Ilfov in the same period, according to a market analysis issued by real estate consultant SVN Romania and based on official statistics […]