August 31, 2026

A roundup of domestic and world news

Newsroom, 31.08.2026, 13:55

PNRR – Today marks the end of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), a national investment and reform mechanism funded by a special EU fund created to support Europe’s recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of a budget of over 20 billion Euros allocated through this plan, Romania has actually managed to receive only about 13 billion Euros. The remainder depends on the European Commission’s assessment of the reforms carried out by the authorities in Bucharest in the final stretch. Before the PNRR was finalized, there were over 15,000 projects funded by European money underway, and approximately 4,500 of them have not yet been accepted.

Romanian Language Day – Romanian Language Day is celebrated today in Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. In a message posted online, Romanian President Nicuşor Dan emphasized that protecting the rights of Romanians everywhere and promoting national culture remain essential goals for our country. He called the Romanian language “a valuable bond,” capable of anchoring us in history and opening the door to the future. Dan extended his congratulations to all those who speak, write, and keep the Romanian language alive, regardless of borders. Established in 2013 by the Romanian Parliament, the Romanian Language Day coincides with the national holiday in the Republic of Moldova and pays tribute to the national revival movement in the neighboring country, where the majority of the population is Romanian-speaking. On August 31, 1989, in the midst of Soviet rule, the Parliament in Chișinău, surrounded by a protest of some 750,000 people, or one-sixth of the republic’s population at the time, decided to declare Romanian the official language and to switch to the Latin alphabet in place of the Cyrillic alphabet imposed by the occupiers following the 1940 annexation.

Rowing – At the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, held between August 24–30, Romanian athletes won three gold medals, two of them on Sunday, the final day of competition, in the women’s and mixed 8+1 events. In a first for the country, Adriana Adam and Simona Radiş concluded the World Championships in Amsterdam with three gold medals, following the ones they won in the mixed 8+1, women’s 8+1, and women’s pair on Friday. As a result, Romania ranked fourth in the medal count at the 2026 World Rowing Championships, with three gold medals, being overtaken by the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States.

Survey – Nearly three-quarters of Bucharest residents, 73%, believe that Romania is heading in the wrong direction, while only 18% believe it is heading in the right direction, shows an opinion poll conducted by CURS in Bucharest. Regarding the situation in Bucharest, 63% of those who participated in the survey said the city is heading in the wrong direction. Traffic and congestion are cited as the main problem that the City Hall should address as a priority. Second is the condition of streets and roads, followed by the parking problem. According to the poll, if local elections were held next Sunday, the PSD would receive 22% of the vote, followed by the PNL, trailing by one percentage point. The AUR is credited with 20%, and the USR with 18%. The poll was conducted by CURS between August 21 and 28, with a sample of over 1,000 respondents, and the maximum margin of error is +/-3%.

Firefighters – The third contingent of Romanian firefighters has arrived in Greece to ensure the continuity of the monitoring and firefighting missions targeting wildfires and forest fires that have been underway for the past two weeks. According to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the firefighters will be stationed in Nea Makri, a town located in the Attica region, approximately 25 kilometers northeast of the Greek capital, Athens. Meanwhile, the Romanian firefighters on a mission in Serbia continued to work to contain a forest fire in the province of Vojvodina, in the northeast of the country. The Romanian firefighters’ missions in these two countries are taking place under the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.

Diplomacy – The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) is organizing the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy on August 31 and September 1. The proceedings will be led by Acting Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu and will take place at the Bucharest National Opera, the MAE announced. The event, traditionally held around Romanian Diplomacy Day, celebrated annually on September 1, will bring together the heads of Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad, representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps accredited in Bucharest, as well as members of the Foreign Ministry’s leadership and senior Romanian officials. According to the Foreign Ministry, this year’s event is dedicated to a more effective, pragmatic, and better-aligned diplomacy that serves Romania’s interests, and the focus will be on how diplomatic and consular action can contribute more to strengthening the country’s international profile, promoting Romania’s security and economic interests, supporting Romanian citizens, and reinforcing the country’s role in the European Union, in transatlantic relations, and in dialogue with global partners.

Jewish New Year – Authorities in Tulcea County, in southeastern Romania, are preparing for an increased flow of people crossing the border at the Isaccea checkpoint in Romania toward the town of Orlivka in the Odessa region of Ukraine around the time of the Jewish New Year, according to reports from the Bucharest press. According to the source, Prefect Eugen Terente stated that he has already held two meetings with Tulcea authorities responsible for public order and safety in order to prevent any incidents. Last year, during the pilgrimage, there were no problems in the county, but these meetings help us coordinate and streamline communication channels between state institutions and travelers will benefit because their transit through the border crossing will be made easier, the prefect said. The Jewish New Year will be observed in 2026 from September 11 to 13, and Ukraine is home to the tomb of a religious leader, where pilgrimages take place that draw thousands of believers. Since Ukraine’s airspace is closed due to the Russian invasion, pilgrims from around the world are using airport infrastructure in Romania and the Republic of Moldova to reach the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. The Isaccea-Orlivka border crossing is preferred by many because it shortens the distance traveled by pilgrims arriving in Romania via the airports in Bucharest, Constanța, and Tulcea. (LS)