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The interim president of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD), Sorin Grindeanu, has summoned the party’s leading body on August 11 to analyse the “situation created in the governing coalition” after the reformist party USR opposed the decree of a national day of mourning for former president Ion Iliescu. The PSD leader says that the USR’s…

Romania’s government has renewed the exploitation licence for the country’s only graphite deposit, located at Baia de Fier in Gorj County, Antena3.ro reported on August 8, quoting minister of economy Radu Miruță.  The decision was signed and grants state-owned Salrom the right to resume mining operations, minister Miruță stated. Graphite, a critical mineral used in…

The Czech agri-food group Agrofert, controlled by former prime minister Andrej Babis, took over, through the East Grain company in Cluj, the MarAgro farm in Timiș, the transaction being approved by the Competition Council. MarAgro SRL cultivates a total area of 7,000 hectares, mainly cereals, Profit.ro reported. The MarAgro Group is active in the agricultural…

Mexican automotive supplier Nemak, one of the largest in the world, specializing in the development and production of aluminum components, is buying the Romanian lightweight components business of the Swiss Georg Fischer (GF), thus entering the local market.  The transaction, part of a larger agreement, which provides for the acquisition of the entire lightweight components…

The Polish retailer of modern convenience stores Żabka Group, which operates the Froo retail chain, has increased the capital of its Romanian subsidiary Froo Romania Holding by EUR 14.5 million, according to Economica.net. The retailer has opened 100 stores in Romania within the first year of operations. The capital increase reduces the stakes of the…

The Romanian government abandoned plans to approve on August 8 a draft law to regulate the disbursement of private pensions, because of the protests coming from consumer associations and politicians, according to Ziarul Financiar. The opponents particularly challenge a provision restricting the disbursement of over 25%  of a personal pension account at the retirement age.…

Romanian president Nicușor Dan made a private visit to the Republic of Moldova this past weekend, where he joined Moldovan leader Maia Sandu at the Wolves Festival/Festivalul Lupilor in the Orheiul Vechi Nature Reserve. Photos posted on social media showed the two heads of state mingling with participants in a relaxed, informal setting.  This was…

Warm and stormy. That would describe this summer so far. Here are some of my faves for the capricious season, films set in summer and/or with a summery air: dusty, sweaty, erotic, romantic, chaotic, melancholic, dangerous. All of it. My most recent (unexpected) highlight is Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy. The master of the spaghetti western,…

Associates of the fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Șor were urged to vote for far-right candidate George Simion in the presidential elections in Romania back in May, according to the General Inspectorate of Police of the Republic of Moldova. Moldovan police made public several messages discovered on the phones of those close to Ilan Șor as…

The month of July was nearly 2 degrees Celsius warmer than normal in Romania, with temperatures exceeding 43 degrees Celsius in the southern Oltenia region and over 40 degrees Celsius in Transylvania. Eleven new heat records were set, and there were also intense rains as well as severe hailstorms, according to the climatological summary published by…