December 26, 2025 UPDATE

A roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 26.12.2025, 20:00

Security forces deployed for the Christmas mini-holiday

Some 23,000 employees of Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (police officers, gendarmes, firefighters, emergency service personnel and border police) will be deployed every day during the Christmas mini-holiday, according to Interior Ministry spokesperson Monica Dajbog. An average of 2,000 traffic police officers will monitor roads that typically become congested during such periods to ensure smooth traffic flow and assist motorists. They will deploy approximately 400 radar devices to detect drivers who pose a threat to traffic participants. Monica Dajbog noted that police officers will continue operations during these days to prevent and combat illegal trade in dangerous pyrotechnic articles.

For the roughly 10,000 public events organized during this period, which could draw nearly one million people, police and gendarmes will be mobilized to prevent incidents that could affect citizens’ safety. Supporting citizens spending the mini-holiday in the mountains, approximately 170 mountain gendarmes will be ready to intervene daily.

Also during the Christmas mini-holiday, approximately 3,300 border police will be mobilized to protect borders, prevent cross-border crime and ensure smooth control at Romania’s external borders.

Second day of Christmas

Orthodox, Eastern-Catholic and Roman-Catholic Christians worldwide on Friday celebrate the second day of Christmas.

On December 26, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Council of the Mother of God, one of the oldest feast days, which refers to the calling of all people to worship the Virgin Mary immediately after the birth of Jesus Christ. Symbolically, this is the day when, to honor the Mother of God, the faithful on Earth gather with all the Saints in Heaven. In rural areas of Romania, the second day of Christmas is the moment when carolers continue their visits, especially to relatives and close friends. In some villages, there is the custom of the “youth band”, which brings wishes of abundance and prosperity through traditional songs and folk dances. Another custom is the festive meal on the second day of Christmas. On Thursday, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy of the Lord’s Nativity at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. Daniel spoke to the people about faith, good deeds and a pure life, and urged them to offer gifts and signs of joy to those around them.

Roman-Catholics in Romania celebrate the feast day of Saint Stephen, one of the early martyrs of the Christian Church. At the Vatican, in his traditional Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” address, Pope Leo XIV deplored the situation of homeless people worldwide and the destruction caused by war. The Pontiff particularly denounced the war in Ukraine and the developments in the Gaza Strip.

Health authorities issue flu alert

Medical authorities have issued an epidemiological alert in Romania after more than 11,000 cases of clinical flu were reported nationwide in the last week, nearly double compared to the previous week. Most cases were in Bucharest, Cluj (northwest), Botoșani (northeast), Bihor (northwest) and Iași (northeast). Unfortunately, the first death from flu this season has been confirmed: an 88-year-old woman from Cluj, not vaccinated against flu and with pre-existing medical conditions.

The National Center for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases (CNSCBT) urges people at high risk of severe illness to get vaccinated. The Health Ministry also recommends consulting a family physician at the onset of respiratory symptoms and avoiding crowds.

Traffic resumes temporarily on Friendship Bridge

Traffic has resumed temporarily in both directions on the “Friendship Bridge”, which connects Romania and Bulgaria, until January 8, 2026. Bulgarian authorities have decided to open both directions of travel for all categories of vehicles on the bridge spanning the Danube between Giurgiu and Ruse during the holiday period, the Bucharest Foreign Ministry reported.

The bridge has been undergoing major repairs on the Bulgarian side since July 2024, and the works are estimated to last two years, until the summer of next year. Measuring 2.8 km in length, the “Friendship Bridge” was opened to traffic in 1954. At that time, it was the largest combined road and rail bridge in Europe. It was built in two and a half years, with the interest and support of the USSR.

Higher taxes in Bucharest from 2026

In Bucharest, the General Council has recently decided on a significant increase in local taxes and fees, with those for housing set to rise by about 80%. That means, for example, for a two-room apartment, one could pay up to 500 lei (about 100 Euro), while for a three-room apartment, the tax could climb to 600 lei (about 120 Euro).

Parking fees for residential areas in Bucharest will also rise substantially in 2026. Sector local councils can approve their own procedures for granting exemptions or reductions from paying local taxes and fees, including for approving state aid schemes. At the same time, across Romania, the tax on buildings will increase by at least 70%, according to local authorities. (VP)