August 5, 2026 UPDATE
The latest news from RRI
Newsroom, 05.08.2026, 20:00
Danube – The Romanian authorities have decided to postpone until Thursday the operation to sink barges on the Danube, aiming to direct part of the river’s flow toward the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant (southeast). The barges will be sunk in a controlled manner in an attempt to raise the water level and keep the plant’s only operating reactor running. Following previous interventions, the water level has risen noticeably, but the situation remains difficult, stated Ana Maria Agiu, the spokesperson for the National Administration ‘Romanian Waters’. According to her, forecasts indicate that the Danube’s flow will drop below the historical minimum of 1,400 m³/s. At the country’s entrance, the flow stands at 1,450 m³/s, which is three times lower than the multi-annual average for August of 3,900 m³/s. Romania is under an energy state of alert for the duration of August. On Tuesday, interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan met with energy suppliers.
Rating – The Romanian Finance Ministry is awaiting the Moody’s agency evaluation this Friday, which represents Romania’s next rating test. Last week, Fitch maintained the ‘BBB minus’ rating with a negative outlook, just one notch above the ‘junk’ category, which is not recommended for investments. The agency made this decision following the deterioration of public finances, driven by high budget deficits, albeit gradually decreasing, and an increasing debt-to-GDP ratio. According to Fitch, although fiscal consolidation measures have improved short-term fiscal outlooks, significant medium-term risks persist, generated among others by the current political uncertainty in Bucharest. The interim Finance Minister, Alexandru Nazare, claims that the objective is to return to a stable outlook by strengthening fiscal and political credibility. In a social media post, he added that political stability, budgetary discipline, and a credible fiscal plan for 2027 are essential. Following Friday’s evaluation by the Moody’s agency, Standard & Poor’s will also present its report on Romania on October 2.
Weather – Romania remains under a weather advisory for extreme heat, thermal discomfort, tropical nights, and atmospheric instability until Saturday. Meteorologists have announced that the heat wave will persist and intensify across all regions on Thursday. However, on Friday, it will weaken and contract toward the southern half of the country. A code red alert for extreme heat is in effect until Friday morning in the west and northwest. Also until Friday morning, orange and yellow code alerts for persistent and intense heat are active across the rest of the country. The temperature-humidity index (THI) will meet and exceed the critical threshold of 80 units, with maximum temperatures ranging between 30 and 41 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, meteorologists have issued a yellow code alert for atmospheric instability for Thursday, valid across all of Romania except for the east and southeast. There will be wind gusts reaching speeds of 50 to 70 km/h, and exceeding 80 km/h in isolated areas, alongside downpours, electrical storms, and localized small hail. Over short periods, rainfall amounts will reach 15 to 20 l/sq.m., and 30 to 50 l/sq.m. in isolated areas, particularly in mountainous regions.
Promulgation – On Tuesday, President Nicușor Dan promulgated several laws aimed at meeting the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) milestones and ratifying the SAFE agreement. The Head of State believes that this ensures Romania’s continued access to major European funds for modernization and investments. Additionally, rating agencies’ confidence in Romania is maintained, which encourages investors to remain interested in the country. The President emphasized that NRRP funds translate into better services and an improved quality of life for citizens, while also requiring reforms for a more efficient functioning of the state. Among the most significant measures is the unlocking of European funds for teaching and professional career bonuses targeting teachers and public education staff. Concurrently, tax and customs administration employees will benefit from a performance-based reward mechanism linked to revenue collection. On Tuesday, the Head of State also promulgated the new Urban Planning and Construction Code.
Parliament – Meeting in an extraordinary session, the Romanian Parliament continues its activity. The integrity bill, a milestone in the NRRP, entered the Senate’s debate on Wednesday. Acting as the decision-making body, the Senate adopted the legislative proposal amending and supplementing certain normative acts in the field of integrity. The bill was adopted with amendments from the PSD and AUR, which were contested by the USR. A few days ago, the Chamber of Deputies adopted a series of amendments from the PSD and AUR, contested by the PNL and USR; one of these stipulates that local elected officials who have received definitive rulings of incompatibility or conflict of interest automatically lose their mandate within 30 days of the law entering into force. On the other hand, the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies adopted the bill approving the National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation 2026–2030. (LS)
