January 22, 2026
A roundup of domestic and world news
Newsroom, 22.01.2026, 13:55
Meeting – Romania’s President Nicușor Dan is participating in an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels today. The EU heads of state and government are discussing a common response to the United States’ attempts to take control of Greenland. On Wednesday, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Donald Trump called for the opening of immediate negotiations for Washington to acquire Greenland, stating that the US is the only power that can guarantee the island’s security. European leaders, however, are pleading for respect for the principles of international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty, but also for full support and solidarity with Denmark and Greenland. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the community bloc is preparing measures to support Greenland through a massive wave of investments to support the local economy and infrastructure.
Book Fair – The Bucharest government included on the agenda of today’s meeting, among other things, a project, considered of major importance, regarding Romania’s participation in 2028, as a guest of honor, in the Frankfurt Book Fair. This is the largest event of its kind in the world, and for Romanian literature it is a strategic gateway not only to the German-language market, but to the entire global publishing scene. The executive considers that the status of guest of honor country offers a nation the privilege of being in the spotlight and involves managing a pavilion of approximately 1,500-2,000 square meters and a large-scale cultural program. For this reason, according to the government, the establishment of a committee is justified, that will coordinate this major project with complex logistical, financial and institutional implications.
Romgaz – The Moldovan subsidiary of the Romanian state-owned company Romgaz has received a gas trading license in the Republic of Moldova. The license is valid for 10 years. Romgaz is the largest natural gas producer and storage operator in Romania, and its entry into the wholesale natural gas market in the Republic of Moldova coincides with a period of increased imports from Romania, amid extremely low temperatures. The company intends to cover between 20% and 30% of Moldova’s gas imports, a significant share in a market almost completely dependent on imports, with an estimated annual consumption of around one billion cubic meters.
Ukraine – Ukrainian citizens can acquire citizenship of other states based on a law that entered into force on January 16, and the list of these countries is approved by the government in Kyiv – specifies the Embassy of Ukraine in Bucharest. According to the diplomatic mission, in response to spreading information in Romania which attempts to interpret the content of the law, the Embassy mentions that the list included Canada, Germany, Poland, the United States and the Czech Republic, where the largest Ukrainian communities in the diaspora are located. The list will be expanded in the future. Previously, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), in the governing coalition, requested the institutions with foreign policy responsibilities in Bucharest to urgently clarify with Kyiv the reasons why Romania was omitted from the list of states for which Ukraine regulated the possibility of having a dual citizenship agreement, considering the omission as deeply unfair. We recall that Romanians represent the second largest ethnic minority in the neighboring state.
Budget – Following the recovery measures and based on a healthier economic foundation, as of the coming months Romania’s economy will enter a recovery path, the Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced in a post on a social network. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister discussed with the Governor of the Central Bank, Mugur Isărescu, about Romania’s future draft budget, which is expected to be ready in mid-February, and had a meeting with local officials from all parties on the topic of budget construction, amid the increase in taxes and duties from January 1. The Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan wants this year’s budget to be adopted in the second half of next month.
Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea was defeated on Thursday by the Japanese Naomi Osaka, a two-time winner in Melbourne, in the second round of the Australian Open tennis tournament, the first Grand Slam of the year. At 35 years old, Cirstea is in her final season on the professional circuit. Another Romanian, Gabriela Ruse, qualified for the first time for the third round of the Australian Open and will fight for a place in the round of 16 with Mirra Andreeva (Russia, ranked in the top 10). (LS)
