September 30, 2026 UPDATE
The latest news from RRI
Newsroom, 30.09.2026, 20:00
Vote – On Wednesday, the Romanian Parliament did not grant a vote of confidence to the proposed government led by Siegfried Mureșan (PNL). There were 182 votes in favor and 15 against. To be invested, the executive needed a minimum of 233 votes in favor out of a total of 464. The cabinet was set to comprise 16 ministers proposed by PNL, USR, UDMR, and one independent. Siegfried Mureșan had negotiated only with the national minorities, unaffiliated senators and deputies, and smaller parliamentary groups. AUR lawmakers were not present in the chamber, while PSD members did not vote. It is worth recalling that PSD and AUR had previously toppled the government led by Liberal Ilie Bolojan in May via a no-confidence motion. Also on Wednesday, it was announced that the parties would be summoned for consultations on Monday, with a new prime minister to be designated that same day. The rejection of the Siegfried Mureșan cabinet marks the first time the constitutional condition for triggering early elections has been met; this is the second government to fail a parliamentary vote, following that of Liberal Adrian Veștea in June. Consequently, the head of state may dissolve Parliament and call early elections at any time.
Visit – The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, was received on Wednesday by the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, at Prague Castle. The Romanian President paid an official visit to Prague at the invitation of his Czech counterpart. The agenda focuses on Romanian-Czech cooperation at the bilateral, European, and alliance levels, with an emphasis on ensuring Europe’s security in the face of threats posed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Regarding the bilateral relationship, it was agreed that there is potential to capitalize on economic ties, given that trade volume stands at nearly seven billion Euros annually. The Romanian President also held discussions with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and the heads of both chambers of Parliament. Also on Wednesday, Nicușor Dan met with representatives of the Romanian community in the Czech Republic. According to official data, the number of Romanian citizens working in the country exceeds 20,000, while the total number of residents exceeds 40,000; this makes Romanians the second-largest community of EU citizens settled in the Czech Republic, surpassed only by Slovaks.
Calin Georgescu – The former Romanian presidential candidate, pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu, and his alleged accomplice, businessman Ionel Rusen, have been placed under pre-trial arrest for 30 days following a definitive ruling by the Bucharest Court of Appeal. The court upheld an appeal by prosecutors with the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) against a Bucharest Tribunal decision that had previously released Georgescu under judicial control. He was detained for 24 hours a week ago on charges of forming an organized criminal group and for fraud with particularly severe consequences. The investigation stems from a complaint filed by a businessman from Buzău who claims to have been the target of the €1 million fraud scheme.
Education report – Romania records one of the highest teacher vacancy rates for qualified educators among OECD member and partner countries. According to a report published on Tuesday, the most severe shortages occur in the exact sciences, where authorities face significant recruitment hurdles. Romania also ranks last among OECD nations in education funding as a percentage of GDP. In 2023, government spending on education accounted for 6.4% of total government expenditure, compared to the OECD average of 9.8%. (LS)
