On Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Senate of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration – SNSPA, the Romanian School of Government, decided to initiate the procedures for nominating Donald Trump, President of the United States, for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In this context, the President of the Romanian School of Government – SNSPA, Professor Remus Pricopie, PhD, stated:

“This decision acknowledges the sustained efforts of President Donald Trump to promote peace and stability in regions affected by global tensions. The diplomatic initiatives that support this nomination include his actions to stabilize the situation in Gaza, his innovative attempts to achieve a just peace in Ukraine, and his ongoing commitment to maintain balance among major geopolitical actors worldwide.

As a higher education institution strongly dedicated to democratic values and international law, SNSPA – the Romanian School of Government considers it essential to support leaders who contribute to global peace.

We recognize the crucial role of President Donald Trump in facilitating diplomatic solutions to end the conflict in Ukraine, ensuring respect for state sovereignty and alignment with Euro-Atlantic values. In particular, securing peace in the Black Sea region—by guaranteeing Ukraine’s sovereignty and the security of neighboring states, in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law—stands as a critical objective for global stability. It is also SNSPA’s duty, as the Romanian School of Government, to recognize and support initiatives that promote peace and dialogue while highlighting significant contributions in this regard.

Donald Trump is an unconventional politician who defies traditional norms but remains focused on achieving his ultimate goal. Since this goal is peace—translated into security, mutual respect among nations, and citizens’ prosperity—this effort must be acknowledged and supported at a global level. Recognizing a strong voice advocating for peace, such as that of Donald Trump, is fundamental.

SNSPA – the Romanian School of Government will invite other universities, both national and international partners, to join this initiative.

Through the expertise of its professors, researchers, and alumni, SNSPA – the Romanian School of Government has been consistently involved in projects aimed at strengthening Euro-Atlantic relations, promoting democratic values, and supporting NATO and EU member states in their efforts to ensure international cohesion and resilience.

The university reaffirms its commitment to support initiatives that counter threats to security, stability, and peace—an increasingly crucial role at a time when social tensions, rooted in extremism, ideological, economic, and ethnic conflicts, xenophobia, or hybrid attacks from state and non-state actors, are disrupting major geopolitical balances.”

SNSPA – the Romanian School of Government is one of the most important universities in Romania, with a strong legacy of academic excellence and international recognition. With an interdisciplinary approach and a research-oriented vision, the university cultivates critical thinking and analytical competencies essential for future leaders and professionals. SNSPA – the Romanian School of Government maintains strategic partnerships with prestigious academic institutions worldwide, facilitating student and faculty exchanges, as well as collaborative research projects addressing current societal challenges. Through active involvement in public debates and contributions to policy making, the university embraces its role as a responsible civic actor and a catalyst for positive social change, remaining faithful to its mission to train generations of professionals who can contribute to democratic development and the welfare of Romanian society.

The European defence industry is prepared to strengthen its industrial capacity and invest in strategic markets such as Romania, according to Stefano Pontecorvo, CEO of Leonardo. In an interview with Calea Europeană, Pontecorvo emphasized that Europe has the necessary technological expertise but must further develop its industrial capabilities to meet growing defence needs.

”The European industry needs to stand up, and European policymakers need to help the European industry stand up, take its rightful place and start producing the excellent equipment that it knows how to produce”, said Pontecorvo. ”We need a bit more of industrial capacity, but we’re getting there. We know where we have to go. We’ve been there already. Once we know where we have to go, we just need to get there”, he added.

Leonardo, a key player in Aerospace, Defence & Security, is already well-established in Romania through Leonardo Romania Aerospace, Defence & Security SA. With a production facility in Ploiești covering 25,000 sqm and employing 160 people, the company has been manufacturing since 2004 telecommunications equipment, control panels, and military systems for NATO applications.

When asked about Leonardo’s plans for Romania and the Eastern European region, Pontecorvo confirmed the company’s expansion strategy.

”We have plans for everybody. We have a lot of companies we work with in Romania. Not only Romania, but Bulgaria, and all the Eastern European region. We are looking to expand by acquisitions, we are looking to expand our supply chain, we are looking to grow as a company.”

As European leaders push for a more self-sufficient and resilient defence industry, companies like Leonardo are poised to increase investments in production capacity and supply chains. With Romania being a key NATO ally and a regional security hub, the country stands to benefit from Leonardo’s plans to scale up its presence and technological capabilities.

Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo was appointed Chairman of Leonardo S.p.a. on 9 May 2023.

Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo has been an Italian diplomat and a European and international official for about forty years. He was formerly Italian Ambassador to Pakistan and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Italian Embassies in Moscow and London. He served in the Italian Representation Offices to the European Union (where he was Head of the Balkans Desk in the Common Foreign and Security Policy) and to NATO. He was also the Director of the Stability Pact for the Balkans.

He held various positions in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Head of the Financial Office of the Directorate General for Development Cooperation and Chief of Staff of three deputy Secretaries General and/or deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs; he was later the Deputy Director General for Africa.

In the Ministry of Defence, he held the role of Diplomatic Advisor for Ministers Di Paola, Mauro and Pinotti.

Ambassador Pontecorvo was the last NATO Senior Civilian Representative for Afghanistan from June 2020, representing the Alliance in the Doha peace talks.

He is the author of the book L’Ultimo Aereo da Kabul (The Last Flight from Kabul), published by Piemme – Mondadori, and a columnist for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. He has published articles in numerous magazines, including Eastwest, Prima Comunicazione and Mondo Operaio. He is a television commentator for Italian and international television channels (BBC, Al Jazeera, Sky Arabia, TRT World, Al Ghad, El-Qahera, Asharq News). He has taught bachelor and master university degree classes. As Senior Advisor for climate change in the Somali Government, he took part in the Cop 27 summit held in Sharm El Sheikh.

Member of the Corporate Governance Committee (set up by ABI, ANIA, Assogestioni, Assonime, Borsa Italiana and Confindustria) since December 2023, Ambassador Pontecorvo is Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) and Cavaliere di Merito del Sacro Ordine Militare Costantiniano di San Giorgio (Knight of Merit of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George). Moreover, he has been awarded NATO’s Meritorious Medal for Outstanding Service and the 2022 Amato Lamberti Prize for Social Responsibility.

Special Press Correspondence from Luxembourg – Dan Cărbunaru

The CEO of the Renault Group, Luca de Meo, who attended the EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg, pointed out during the panel “Decarbonization of the European industry” that “the center of gravity of the automotive industry has shifted to China”. He also called for a reconfiguration of the entire European car industry system to deliver affordable electric cars to Europeans.

“(…) Currently, the center of gravity of the car industry has shifted to China. The automotive sector and in particular new energy vehicles (hybrid, plug-in hybrid) are key points in the Made in China plan. Over 30% of new car sales in the world are produced in China (…) So now is the time for European car manufacturers to be humble and learn. We need to imitate our competitors, where they do better than we do”, Luca de Meo stressed in his speech in Luxembourg.

According to Renault’s CEO, European consumers are under pressure and their incomes are not keeping up with the prices of the European car market: “Consumers’ purchasing power is declining. Cars are getting more and more expensive these days. Europeans have a 25% lower real income compared to the U.S. (…) New cars have become a luxury, especially electric cars. The average age of the average buyer in Europe is 56 and in China 35. When you come up with electric vehicles which are 50% more expensive than combustion ones, then it’s no surprise to see demand stagnate below 15% in some markets.”

Luca de Meo also pointed out that the financial markets are not supporting European carmakers: “Europeans invest about five times less in equities than Americans, and when they do invest, they invest elsewhere, with about 300 billion in savings invested abroad annually, mostly in the US, and European companies are actually undervalued by the markets.”

In his speech, the CEO of Renault called for a new approach at European level for the automotive sector to solve Europe’s competitiveness problems and to be able to produce electric vehicles at an affordable price: “It is time for Europe to get out of this regulatory process that constrains the ability of companies to innovate and leads to price hikes (…) a new approach is needed to bring a system-wide solution, a holistic perspective and a European industrial strategy capable of addressing the whole ecosystem, even beyond, of course, the automotive.”

Earlier today, March 5th, the European Commission unveiled an action plan for the European automotive sector, which is at a critical juncture of rapid technological change and increased competition.

The Renault Group recorded strong growth and operating profit in 2024 and achieved a net financial position at record levels. Renault Group’s 2024 results exceeded financial expectations, according to the financial report.

The Dacia&Renault Group in Romania recorded investments of €4.2 billion between 2000-2024, reaching a turnover of €6.3 billion in 2023. Thus, a 2.1% share in GDP was reached in 2023. Export contributions of 10% were also recorded and 12,800 direct jobs and around 100,000 indirect jobs were created among suppliers. Last but not least, annual local procurement reached €2.5 billion.

“The Renault Group continues to improve its operational performance, implement its strategy and achieve its objectives. 2024 was an important year in which we reaped the first results of our unprecedented push to launch new models. This performance is the result of a profound transformation of the company, following a remarkable collective effort. We have transformed the Renault Group into a much more flexible, more efficient and more effective company. And we’re not stopping there! Thanks to the solid foundations built over the past 4 years and an agile and innovative mindset, we are preparing for the next chapter, pursuing profitable growth while investing for the future.” said Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault Group.