March 24, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Elena Enache, 24.03.2026, 13:55
FUEL – The Government in Bucharest will declare, today, a crisis situation on the fuel market in Romania and will institute measures to protect the economy and the population. The emergency order, to be adopted by the Government, was published last night on the website of the Energy Ministry. The document mainly provides for the application of a limited commercial surcharge and controlled exports. The intervention of the Romanian authorities, to stabilize the market, comes in a tense international context. The increase in fuel prices is the main effect of the conflict in the Middle East on the Romanian business, say over 60% of the respondents to a study conducted last week by IMM Romania.
MILITARY – Romania is organizing the largest annual multinational training exercise, “Sea Shield 2026”, in which over 2,500 soldiers from the country and from 12 other partner states participate. The goal is to strengthen cooperation and joint action procedures. The Minister of National Defense, Radu Miruţă, said on Radio Romania that the exercise, entitled “Sea Shield”, sends the message that there is interoperability and capacity to act, willingness to learn and interest in having soldiers of the armies of NATO countries, work and fight shoulder to shoulder in any conditions.
VISIT – The President of the Romanian Senate, Mircea Abrudean, is visiting Croatia on Tuesday and Wednesday, to participate in the Parliamentary Summit of the Three Seas Initiative (I3M) in Zagreb and have several bilateral meetings. According to an internal Senate Memorandum, the main theme of the Parliamentary Summit will be circumscribed by the strategic priorities of I3M in the current geopolitical context. Participants in this major event will address topics such as diversification of energy supply sources, cooperation in the field of defense, aspects related to interconnectivity and sustainable development of economies in the I3M area. According to the same source, I3M is a flexible and informal high-level political platform, which aims to develop infrastructure on the north-south axis in the transport, energy and digital sectors. For geo-economic reasons, the objective of I3M is to reduce the development gaps between the Central and East European countries and the rest of the continent. The platform was launched through the declaration adopted by the inaugural Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Kyiv on August 23, 2021.
ICR- The Romanian Cultural Institute participates, through the ICR Brussels and the National Book Center, in the 55th edition of the Brussels International Book Fair, scheduled for March 26-29, at the Tour&Taxis Exhibition Center. Visitors interested in Romanian culture will have the opportunity to purchase a varied selection of volumes in Romanian, French and English and to participate in events to which writers and translators are invited. The Brussels Book Fair is one of the most important cultural events in Belgium and has a privileged relationship with the EU institutions, with visible promotion not only in the press, but also among European officials from all EU member states. In 2024 and 2025, the Romanian Cultural Institute participated in the fair with its own stand and with a program of events at the EUNIC stand, emphasizing both the importance of the ICR’s translation programs and cultural cooperation and the dialogue between EU member states.
DACIA – Sales of Dacia cars in Europe registered an annual decrease of 23.4% in February, and the Romanian car manufacturer’s market share fell to 3.7%, from 4.9% – data published on Tuesday by the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers shows. In the second month of the year, approximately 36,400 Dacia cars were registered on the continent, compared to over 47,500 in February 2025. According to the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, in Romania, the car market recorded the strongest decline on the continent in February. This is a decrease of approximately 24%, given that almost 9,000 cars were registered, compared to about 12,000 in the same period last year.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian was defeated by American Jessica Pegula, 6-4, 6-1, in the round of 16 of the WTA tournament in Miami (Florida, United States), with total prizes of 9,415,725 dollars. Previously, Sorana Cîrstea was also defeated, in three sets, also by an American, Coco Gauff, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
FOOTBALL – The Romanian national football squad is preparing for the match against Türkiye, in the semi-finals of the play-off for the qualification to the 2026 World Cup. Of the footballers summoned by coach Mircea Lucescu, 11 are registered with clubs abroad and 15 with teams in the so-called Romanian Super League. The national team will meet Türkiye on Thursday, in Istanbul. Depending on the results of the play-off semi-finals, on March 31, the National Team will play in Slovakia or Kosovo. Romania last participated in a world final tournament in 1998, in France. (EE)
