January 25, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 25.01.2026, 19:25
Government. The Romanian Government will assume responsibility in Parliament early next month for bills on administrative reform and economic recovery measures. The two documents will form the basis for this year’s budget, which anticipates a deficit of approximately 6% of the GDP and an inflation rate of over 4%. The Ministry of Finance is expected to present the main indicators in the coming days. Once the bills on administrative reform and economic recovery reach the legislature, the Parliament’s leadership will set a deadline for the formulation of amendments. These will be debated in the relevant committees, and the amendments voted on will be sent to the government, which may accept them or not. Parliament then meets in a joint session, where the Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan will present the final form of the documents. If, within three days of their adoption, no motion of no-confidence is tabled for each individual bill, the measures are considered adopted.
Survey. 62% of Romanians say they trust NATO, while 30% tend not to trust it, according to a survey conducted by the Avangarde group, quoted by Agerpres. In the case of the United Nations, half of those surveyed trust this institution, while 40% tend not to trust it. Half of Romanians trust the European Union, while 45% tend not to. The opinion poll was conducted on Thursday and Friday through telephone interviews with 820 people aged 18 and over, and the maximum margin of error is plus/minus 3.3%.
Energy. Natural gas bills will remain stable in 2026, even in the event of international crises, with insignificant increases of only 2-5 percent estimated after the liberalization of the gas market on April 1, Romanian Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan assured. In a televised interview, he said that the authorities are prepared for any supply scenario. The Energy Minister also spoke about establishing a simpler support mechanism for vulnerable consumers by deducting the aid directly from the bill. In the case of natural gas, this would be 100 lei (20 euros) during the cold season, and 50 lei (10 euros) for electricity. Bogdan Ivan also said that fuel excise duties could be reduced once the budget situation improves, in order to prevent dramatic increases in bills.
Citizenship. The Romanian authorities have made clarifications regarding the law on acquiring and retaining Ukrainian citizenship, which came into force on January 16. According to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, the new law mainly targets Ukrainian communities abroad and does not apply to persons who already have Ukrainian citizenship, including ethnic Romanians in Ukraine. The law adopted by the authorities in Kyiv stipulates that Ukrainian citizens residing in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, the United States, and Canada can acquire a second citizenship without being required to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship. The law also allows ethnic Ukrainians in those countries to become Ukrainian citizens through a simplified procedure.
Ukraine. The peace talks in Abu Dhabi between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia have ended without results. New discussions are expected on February 1. These are the first known direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on the American plan to resolve the conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Ahead of the talks, the Kremlin said that Russia would maintain its position and that there would be no peace unless Ukrainian troops withdrew from Donbas. Earlier, in Davos, US envoy Steve Witkoff also spoke of progress on a number of issues, except those related to territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not accept the surrender of parts of Donbas still controlled by Ukraine, and polls show that Ukrainians do not want territorial concessions either. Russian officials have warned that until a peace agreement is reached, Moscow will continue to pursue its objectives consistently. Russia has launched massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and heat in the freezing winter.
Book Fair. Romania is participating, until February 3, as guest of honor, in the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, one of the most important publishing events in the world, thus marking 120 years of diplomatic relations with Egypt. In figures, Romania’s participation in this fair includes 30 distinct cultural events over 13 days, 60 special guests (authors, publishers, translators, artists, academics), 10 titles translated into Arabic for the first time, and 10 participating Romanian publishing houses. Among the Romanian authors invited are: Tatiana Ţîbuleac, Ioana Pârvulescu, Denisa Comănescu, Matei Vişniec, Varujan Vosganian, Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu, Cătălin Pavel, and Radu Vancu. The literary program of Romania’s participation in the Cairo Fair includes debates and round tables dedicated to contemporary Romanian literature, poetry, prose, and intercultural dialogue, with an important emphasis on translations and editorial dialogue, through the launch of Romanian volumes translated into Arabic. (MI)
