July 15, 2026
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 15.07.2026, 13:55
SUMMIT The president of Romania Nicușor Dan takes part today in Kyiv in the 5th Ukraine – Southeast Europe Summit. According to the Romanian Presidency, the visit to Kyiv takes place following the invitation extended by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukraine – Southeast Europe Summit was initiated in 2023, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. It is a regional platform to support Kyiv and to address together the complex effects of the war and the consequences on the extended region, defined by shared interests in security, economy, energy and infrastructure connectivity, resilience and fighting hybrid threats. The Romanian president’s participation in this summit once again proves Romania’s solidarity with Ukraine and the unequivocal support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of this state, the Presidency says. Nicuşor Dan will also reconfirm Bucharest’s commitment to continue providing assistance to Kyiv and to help strengthen the security and resilience of the Black Sea region and of Southeast Europe. The summit is also important in terms of supporting Ukraine’s and the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession process, and will also address topics such as regional connectivity, energy security and resilience, the news release also reads.
VISIT Romania’s interim foreign minister Oana Ţoiu is on a working visit to Washington until July 17. The talks follow the contacts at the NATO Summit and the bilateral discussions held in Bucharest and focused on security, economy and the social security agreement between Romania and the US, due to take effect on September 1. “In the year when the US celebrates 250 years since its proclamation of independence, this connection takes on even greater significance, highlighting how democracy and fundamental freedoms support a shared view on the consolidation of the Strategic Partnership, both within NATO and at regional level, in order to ensure enhanced security, economic growth and quality jobs, as key goals that the two countries share,” Oana Ţoiu said.
GOVERNMENT Romania’s Constitutional Court deferred to September 23 a ruling on a potential legal conflict between the country’s government and parliament. The Chamber of Deputies speaker, the Social Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, claims that the government exceeded its constitutional powers by passing an emergency order concerning the EU’s SAFE programme after being dismissed under a no-confidence vote. He accuses the interim cabinet led by the Liberal Ilie Bolojan of abusing public law. The government says that it originally passed the SAFE emergency order in a meeting on May 4, the day before the no-confidence vote in Parliament, but later operated technical changes on the text, after it was dismissed by Parliament. The document was published in the Official Journal on May 8.
EU The European Union Tuesday held intergovernmental conferences with Moldova, Ukraine, Montenegro and Albania, with all four countries moving forward in the accession process. Moldova and Ukraine, which submitted their applications immediately after the outbreak of the war started by Russia in Ukraine in 2022 and opened the first negotiation chapters a month ago, have now taken another step by opening cluster number six, which includes chapters on foreign relations, security policy and defence. Montenegro, which submitted its application in 2008, has now closed two more negotiation chapters, while Albania, a candidate country since 2009, has also closed three more chapters.
REPORT The EU population currently stands at 450.6 million, and Europeans live longer than ever before, with life expectancy reaching 81.5 years in 2024, according to the latest report on the demographic transformation in the EU released by the European Commission. According to it, however, the population will fall by 2100 to levels similar to the 1970s, i.e. below 400 million, creating challenges for the labour market, the healthcare system, and public finances. Also, by 2050 almost one in three EU citizens will be at least 65 years old, compared to one in five today, and by 2100 life expectancy could exceed 90 years for women and 86 for men. The report warns that these trends also entail major challenges, from labour shortages and pressure on public budgets, to increasing demands on care, education and vocational training systems.
FOOTBALL European champions Spain qualified for the final of the World Cup hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, after defeating world vice-champion France 2-0 on Tuesday. It is the second final for Spain, after the one they won in 2010. Spain’s opponent in the final is the winner of tonight’s match pitting world champions Argentina against England. Meanwhile, Romanian football champions Universitatea Craiova play today on home turf against ML Vitebsk (Belarus), in the first leg of the Champions League first qualifier round. (AMP)
