February 20, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 20.02.2026, 19:50
Board of Peace. Romania supports international efforts to resolve global conflicts, said President Nicuşor Dan after attending the Board of Peace initiated by US President Donald Trump in Washington. ‘Peace and security are the foundation of a prosperous country. For our foreign policy, it is important to be partners in various formats and, especially in terms of security, to strengthen and deepen our partnership with the United States of America. During my speech in Washington, I clearly stated that Romania supports international efforts to resolve global conflicts and intends to make a concrete contribution to the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Nicuşor Dan said on Friday in a Facebook post. Romania reaffirms its commitment to cooperation with the US and the European Union, based on constant and transparent dialogue, the head of state added.
Visit. Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels next Thursday to discuss current issues related to the implementation of the NRRP. According to a statement from the Executive, the Prime Minister will discuss the Government’s priorities for the future post-2028 multiannual financial framework, currently under negotiation, with a focus on cohesion policy, agricultural policy, and competitiveness. During his visit to Brussels, the Prime Minister will also meet with European Commissioner Roxana Mânzatu. Ilie Bolojan will also participate in the high-level event launching the Communication on Eastern Border Regions, alongside the President of the European Commission, the Prime Ministers of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, and the President of the European Investment Bank. The Communication, to which Romania has made an important contribution, is intended to support the strategic importance of the Eastern Border Regions for the European Union and the common European responsibility to support their security, resilience, and prosperity.
Defense. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland presented on Friday a joint program to develop “low-cost” air defense systems meant to counter the growing threat of missiles and drones, AFP reports. The announcement was made by the ministers and deputy ministers of defense of the so-called E5 countries meeting in Krakow, southern Poland. The continent’s main military powers intend to ‘improve the collective security’ of NATO members by learning lessons from the war in Ukraine while continuing their ‘cooperation in traditional weapons systems’. The war triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is the first armed conflict in history in which drones are omnipresent and decisive on the battlefield, notes AFP. The proliferation of drones on the front line, and increasingly deeper into the territory, has forced a rethinking of air defense systems.
Corruption. Legislative instability continues to be the most serious threat to the effectiveness of anti-corruption prosecutors in Romania, said Marius Voineag, head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), when presenting the institution’s report for last year. Hundreds of cases have been dismissed due to the slow response of Parliament to the decisions of the Constitutional Court, which has meant lost work and eroded trust, Voineag said. However, the chief prosecutor says that the Directorate has regained its strength, is attracting professionals, and now has unprecedented technical capabilities. Voineag pointed out that in 2025, DNA recruited 18 new prosecutors and over 40 judicial police officers. At the same time, 114 indictments reached the judges’ desks and nearly 800 people were sent to court, 16% more than in 2024.
Fair. Romania will promote its literature and culture as guest of honor at the 80th edition of the Frankfurt International Book Fair (October 11-15, 2028), the world’s most important book and creative industries fair, following the signing on Friday at the Ministry of Culture of the official agreement establishing this status. The document was signed by the Minister of Culture, Andras Istvan Demeter, and the director of the Frankfurt International Book Fair, Juergen Boos. He recalled ‘the ties with the German-speaking world, which have grown over the decades’, mentioning the writer Herta Muller, the contribution of the German-Hungarian communities, as well as the literature of the Republic of Moldova and other cultural areas. ‘New translations will be produced, publishers will travel and establish new contacts, and German-Romanian projects will be implemented step by step. Romanian literature will become even more visible in Germany and internationally,’ added Juergen Boos. For his part, Minister of Culture Demeter Andras said that ‘for the Ministry of Culture, this project is a major opportunity to strengthen the image of Romanian literature and make it visible worldwide’. The minister emphasized that Romanian and international institutions can support a coherent effort to translate Romanian literature into German and other international languages, as well as the development of dedicated programs and special sessions to support translations. (MI)
