September 29, 2026
A roundup of local and international news
Newsroom, 29.09.2026, 13:55
VISIT The president of Romania Nicuşor Dan will be on an official visit to Prague on Wednesday, at the invitation of president Petr Pavel. The Romanian official will have meetings with his Czech counterpart, with PM Andrej Babiš and with the Czech Parliament speakers, as well as with members of the Romanian community. According to a news release by the Presidency, the talks will focus on Romanian-Czech cooperation at bilateral, European and NATO levels, with an emphasis on ensuring European security in the face of threats entailed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Topics on the European agenda and the development of economic ties and investments, including in the defence industry, will also be addressed, the news release also says.
GOVERNMENT Parliament’s specialist committees conclude today the interviews of the ministers proposed by Prime Minister designate Siegfrid Mureşan. Ten candidates must answer questions from deputies and senators, after on Monday only 2 of the 6 ministers interviewed were green lighted by the committees. The decisive vote on the cabinet programme and lineup is scheduled for Wednesday, in a joint plenary session of the two legislative chambers. PSD and AUR announced they will not vote for the new government, while the Prime Minister designate, backed by PNL, USR and UDMR, said that he will not step down and that a negative vote for his cabinet is likely to extend the political deadlock that has been dragging on since May. In order to be endorsed by Parliament, the proposed cabinet needs a minimum of 233 votes.
SURVEY Only 26% of Romanian consumers say they are financially secure, meaning they can pay all their monthly bills and have money left over for savings and other expenses. The figure is down 2.5% since the previous year, according to the PwC Voice of the Consumer 2026 global survey. It is also below the level reported in Central and Eastern Europe, and significantly below the global average of 48%. At the same time, 10.8% of Romanians say their family is having difficulty paying monthly bills, compared to about 7% in 2025. The survey data was collected between February and March 2026, based on 21,808 responses from 27 countries. 2,419 respondents from Central and Eastern Europe were included, of whom 707 from Romania.
SCHOOLS A large number of undergraduate students in Romania showed up to classes dressed in black, after the Senate passed a controversial bill that introduces mandatory school uniforms. The students complain that they were not consulted and argue that mandatory school uniforms would not address the problem of bullying, as the initiators of the bill claim. In order to take effect, the new legislation must also be endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case.
DEFENCE The US and Romania announced the delivery of the first 9 amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) to Romania, marking an important milestone in bilateral defence cooperation and strengthening NATO security on the Black Sea coast and along the alliance’s eastern flank, the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest said. With the AAVs (military vehicles designed to carry troops and equipment directly from military ships during amphibious combat operations) arriving in Babadag, Tulcea County, specialized technical training will begin before the new capabilities are in active service. Designed for difficult terrain and complex missions, the AAVs ensure mobility and adaptability, and are perfectly suited for operations in the Danube Delta and along the Black Sea coast.
FOOTBALL In the UEFA Nations League, the Romanian national team was defeated 4-2 on Monday night in Bucharest by Bosnia-Herzegovina. Next, on October 2, comes a match against Poland in Warsaw, and on October 5 again on home turf, Romania takes on Sweden, which defeated them 2-1 in the first leg a few days ago. Gheorghe Hagi, who also led the national team a quarter of a century ago, shortly after he retired as a player, now told a press conference that the responsibility for the defeat belongs largely to him. (AMP)
