January 26, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 26.01.2026, 19:55
Defence. The Romanian government on Monday published the projects for equipping the army that will be implemented with the approximately 16 billion euros borrowed through the European SAFE defence program. The Ministry of Defence will carry out 21 projects, of which 10 will be joint acquisitions with other states and 11 exclusively intended for Romania. Of the joint projects, most are with France and Germany, announced Defence Minister Radu Miruţă. The contract with France, for the acquisition of Mistral missiles worth 652 million euros, has already been signed, the minister said. He said there will be 12 H225 helicopters and 12 radars that will be acquired from France jointly with 6 other states, 3 air defence systems that will complement the Patriot system, jointly acquired with Germany, and 2 air defence command centralization systems, which will be jointly acquired with Germany. Also on Monday, the government discussed the public administration reform bill and the package of measures for economic recovery, which includes, among others, tax reliefs for companies that reinvest profits in development and the allocation of funds to support foreign investments, as well as research and development. According to some political sources, the ruling coalition (PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR) is yet to reach an agreement on their adoption. The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union would like the two bills to be separate, while the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania support taking responsibility for the two bills in Parliament as a package, as was established 5 months ago.
Visit. Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan is paying an official visit to Germany on Tuesday and Wednesday, during which he will have talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz. The visit’s agenda also includes meetings with representatives of the Federal Parliament, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Industries, the Central Council of Jews in Germany, as well as representatives of Romanian associations in Germany. The Romanian Prime Minister will also lay flowers at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and visit the Memorial, where he will also have a meeting with Uwe Neumarker, director of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Foundation. Ilie Bolojan is scheduled to meet members of the European Affairs Committee in Parliament and representatives of Romanian associations at the Romanian Embassy in Berlin. The Prime Minister is accompanied on this visit, among others, by defence minister Radu Miruță, Chief of the Defense Staff, General Gheorghiță Vlad and Romania’s Ambassador to Germany, Adriana-Loreta Stănescu.
North Sea. A number of European leaders are meeting in Hamburg, Germany, to discuss energy and security cooperation in the North Sea. Greenland is not officially on the summit’s agenda, but international agencies say there are voices calling for the subject to be discussed, especially given that Denmark and Norway are attending the meeting. Germany wants the North Sea to become “the largest reservoir of clean energy worldwide”, stepping up offshore wind energy. The North Sea and Baltic Sea are also the target of hybrid attacks attributed to Russia, which have damaged wind farms, gas pipelines and communication cables. Drone flights over sensitive targets in Germany, Denmark and other states have also increased. Meanwhile, EU member states have approved a complete ban on Russian natural gas imports by the end of 2027. At the same time, the European Commission said it wants to abandon imports of Russian crude oil through pipelines, along with a ban on the use of nuclear fuel from Russia.
Holocaust. The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is dedicated to the memory and reflection on one of the greatest tragedies in the history of humanity, Romania’s president Nicușor Dan said in a statement. He went on to said that this commemoration painfully reminds us how precious freedom, human dignity and the guarantee of fundamental rights are, as well as the importance of defending them at all costs. According to the president, the commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust becomes all the more relevant in a world where collective memory seems to be fading and extremist movements are on the rise. January 27 marks the day of the liberation of prisoners from the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in 1945 and the international commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust.
Cars. Dacia Sandero is still the best-selling car model in Europe, while Duster remains in the top 10, in 9th position. The Mioveni-based car manufacturer has exceeded the threshold of 10 million vehicles sold globally since the launch of the first Logan in 2004, according to an analysis by specialists. The Dacia and Ford brands, the latter of which operate a factory in Craiova, account for 9% of Romania’s annual exports.
Book fair. Romania is guest of honour at the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, marking 120 years of diplomatic relations with the Arab Republic of Egypt. Romania’s presence is built around a programme highlighting contemporary literature, cultural dialogue, translation, academic research, cultural diplomacy, heritage and education, bringing together authors, researchers, translators, publishers, artists and cultural professionals from Romania and Egypt, as well as diplomats, former diplomats and Romanian academia. (CM)
