April 17, 2026 UPDATE (I)
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 17.04.2026, 19:49
Crisis. Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan stated that Romania is currently in the early stages of a crisis it does not need. In an interview with Radio Romania, the prime minister said that the country is facing complex problems stemming from budget deficits and that there is a risk of losing funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which expires at the end of August. The head of the Bucharest government blamed the current situation on “shirking responsibility, because tough decisions must be made.” Bolojan also believes that the Social Democratic Party is “playing a double game by having participated in the decision but shirking the costs.” On April 20, the Social Democrats will decide whether or not to leave the four-party governing coalition in Romania, as they believe a political reset is needed to change the country’s current direction. Their partners in the PNL and USR are defending the Liberal head of government. At the same time, the Liberals announced that they would no longer form a coalition with the PSD if the latter were to dismiss the executive through a motion of no confidence. To avoid the breakup of the current ruling coalition, Romanian President Nicuşor Dan spoke with both Prime Minister Bolojan and PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu, but avoided taking sides. Dan emphasized that a coalition among the current pro-Western parties is the only solution for governing Romania and insisted on a minimum level of cooperation.
Reorganisation. Dozens of state-owned companies in Romania are recording historic losses totalling approximately 14 billion lei (about 2.7 billion euros), according to data presented on Thursday by Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu. She announced that, next week, she would submit to the government for approval a memorandum on the recovery of 22 state-owned companies analyzed in a pilot project. The Deputy Prime Minister said that, while some companies must be supported because they have a real strategic role, others must be transformed or restructured, and others must be closed because maintaining them in their current form serves neither the economy nor the taxpayer.
Videoconference. Romanian President Nicuşor Dan participated on Friday in a videoconference of countries not involved in the Middle East conflict, co-chaired in Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The meeting was intended to signal to the United States that some of its closest allies are prepared to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, once conditions permit. The Romanian head of state noted that the focus was on supporting a ceasefire in the region and ensuring the reopening and long-term security of maritime routes. Emmanuel Macron welcomed Iran’s announcement that it would allow the Strait of Hormuz to reopen as long as a ceasefire remains in effect, with the French leader stating that the situation is “moving in the right direction.” He also said that a meeting will take place in London next week to further discuss the situation.
Iran. Iran announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain “fully open” until the end of the ceasefire agreed upon with the U.S., which expires next Wednesday; this decision was made by Tehran following the separate ceasefire accepted by Israel in Lebanon, reports the EFE news agency. Oil prices have already fallen by 10% following this announcement, which was welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump. However, the White House leader stated that he is maintaining the naval blockade he imposed on Iranian ports starting Monday in retaliation for Iran’s restriction of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation for the war launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, Iran has since allowed only selective passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran had already agreed to reopen the strait at the start of the ceasefire with the U.S. that took effect last Wednesday, but has not implemented this commitment due to Israel’s refusal to halt military operations in Lebanon—operations that the Israeli military has actually intensified with heavy bombardments that have caused many civilian casualties.
Fuel. Fuel prices have continued to fall in Romania in recent days, amid a relative stabilization of the price of a barrel of oil at approximately 98 dollars. Thus, gasoline costs on average 8.67 lei (about 1.7 euros), and diesel 9.47 lei (the equivalent of approximately 1.9 euros). We recall that, in the context of the war in the Middle East, a government emergency order has been in force in Romania since April 1st, declaring a crisis situation on the fuel market. Based on the order, the Government adopted a series of measures to temper the increase in gasoline and diesel prices. Among other things, the tax on diesel was reduced, the biofuel content in gasoline was reduced to lower production costs, and the method of updating prices at the pump was regulated.
Inflation. The annual inflation rate in the European Union rose to 2.8% in March, from 2.1% in February, and Romania is still the country with the highest value, according to data from the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). According to the National Institute of Statistics, in Romania, the annual inflation rate increased to 9.87% in March, as services, non-food and food goods became more expensive. Bread, milk, eggs, meat and other basic foods have increased prices, despite the capping of the trade mark-up.
Drones. Last night, the Romanian Army’s air defence systems tracked two aerial targets in the border area with Ukraine, amid Russian attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in the neighbouring country. One of the targets entered Romanian airspace, but radar contact with it was lost over an uninhabited area, according to the Ministry of National Defence. As a result, residents in the northern part of Tulcea County, near the Danube, received a Ro-Alert message warning them of the possibility of objects falling from the sky and urging them to take self-protection measures. The alert was lifted after approximately 90 minutes. The Dutch Ambassador to Romania, Willemijin van Haaften, who is currently visiting Tulcea County, witnessed these events. She stated that she is in the area precisely to learn how local communities manage to live in the immediate vicinity of the war.
Book Fair. Between April 17-19, Romania is participating in the Festival du Livre de Paris, the most important international book event in the French capital. Under the motto “’Romania, beyond borders/ A territory still to be discovered”, readers are invited to discover or rediscover authors and writings from contemporary Romanian literature. Visitors can choose from a selection of 60 titles by Romanian authors translated into French, offered by publishers in France and Switzerland, and over 60 titles in Romanian, proposed by 13 publishers in Romania.
Gastronomy. The region of Banat, in western Romania, has been awarded the title of European Gastronomic Region for 2028, following a complex evaluation process judged by experts from the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism. This status entails the implementation of a special program to harness the area’s tourism potential and promote sustainable economic development through the multicultural gastronomy of the region’s three counties: Timiş, Arad, and Caraş-Severin. Each county in Banat will be required to organize events cantered on the theme of gastronomy: fusion across borders, bold flavours, and a shared meal. The success of the “Timişoara European Capital of Culture 2023” program also played a decisive role in the positive evaluation. (MI)
