July 28, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Radio România Internațional, 28.07.2026, 18:00
Parliament. On Tuesday, the Budget Committee of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest issued a favourable report on the draft bill to approve the SAFE Loan Agreement between the European Union and Romania, worth 16,680,055,394 euros. The draft is due to be debated in the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies, the first chamber to consider it, and will then be sent to the Senate, which is the decision-making body. According to the draft, the servicing of the public debt relating to the loan – namely the repayment of the principal, the payment of financing costs, liquidity management costs, administrative costs and other costs associated with the loan – will be covered by the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with the legislation in force.
Strike. Hundreds of public hospitals in Romania have gone on a general strike starting Tuesday. Union members from the Sanitas Federation are protesting against a bill, now being debated, on the unified wage system for public sector employees. They are demanding measures to address issues within the healthcare system, such as staff shortages that impact both the work of staff and the quality of patient care, as well as the prospect of cuts to certain salary bonuses. Protesters are also calling for the filling of vacant positions, better working conditions, and a wage law that reflects the responsibility and complexity of work within the healthcare sector. The healthcare ministry said in a statement that it has instructed public health directorates to monitor medical activity at local healthcare facilities in the context of trade union actions and to urgently report any incident or crisis situation that could affect the continuity of medical services for patients.
Drones. Romania considers that Russia bears responsibility for the drones shot down in its national airspace, Acting Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu stated at a press conference on Tuesday. She added that Romania had taken a ‘clear, firm’ stance, which included summoning the Russian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was shown fragments of one of the three drones recently shot down in Romanian airspace, as well as the results of the investigation confirming that the drone was Russian. Oana Ţoiu recalled that NATO had reaffirmed its support for Bucharest, as well as the fact that Romania is a state that does not negotiate its borders and does not permit illegal entry into its airspace. We recall that at the end of last week there were three incidents involving drones that illegally entered Romania’s airspace.
Agreement. The Romanian company Oves Enterprise and Edrone, one of Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturers, have signed a strategic partnership laying the foundation for the joint production of military drones in Cluj-Napoca (north-western Romania). “Europe needs its own production capabilities and Romania must build a genuine industrial role within this ecosystem rather than remaining solely a sales market,” said Oves Enterprise in a press statement issued on Tuesday. In the initial phase, three types of military drone will be manufactured in Cluj-Napoca, namely FPV, interceptor and reconnaissance. The range of products may later be expanded to include up to 27 models. Initial production capacity will be approximately 1,000 units per month, with hopes of increasing this to between 10,000 and 15,000 units monthly.
Firefighters. Romania has extended the mission of the firefighter contingent deployed to southwestern France by another two weeks to assist French and international teams in extinguishing devastating wildfires and forest fires. According to a government statement, the decision reflects Bucharest’s solidarity with its European partners and its commitment to contributing to emergency management within the framework of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron posted a message on X thanking the Romanian firefighters for their assistance in battling the fires.
Anthem Day. National Anthem Day will be celebrated on Wednesday with military ceremonies taking place at all garrisons across Romania. In Bucharest, the event will take place in Tricolor Square. The programme includes a religious service, a presentation on the meaning and symbolism of the anthem’s lyrics, and a concert performed by the Ministry of Defence’s Representative Band. National Anthem Day was established by law in 1998 and is celebrated every year on 29 July. “Awaken, Romanian!” was composed by Anton Pann, and the lyrics were written by the poet Andrei Mureșanu.
