March 26, 2026
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 26.03.2026, 13:55
Ordinance. The government in Bucharest is preparing to adopt, at today’s meeting, the emergency ordinance regarding the fuel crisis, in order to intervene in the market and protect citizens and the economy. The ordinance primarily provides for limiting diesel exports, capping the markup, and eliminating the requirement to add biofuel to gasoline. The Government’s ordinance received a negative opinion from the Economic and Social Council, which argues that the measures will result in a reduction of no more than 50 bani per liter of fuel—a completely insignificant amount—and will fail to halt the continuous rise in prices.
Energy Romania is ready to act as a guarantor of energy security once the Neptun Deep offshore project in the Black Sea enters the production phase next year, Senate President Mircea Abrudean emphasized on Wednesday at the Three Seas Initiative (I3M) Parliamentary Summit in Croatia. In his view, in the current geopolitical context, the I3M is increasingly becoming a strategic platform for resilience, security, competitiveness, and regional cohesion.
CCR. Romania’s Constitutional Court has rejected the complaints filed by AUR (the nationalist opposition) against the state budget and social security laws, which were passed by Parliament last week. The Alliance claims that the bills were pushed through via an expedited procedure, which turned the parliamentary debate into a mere formality. According to AUR, the extreme compression of the legislative process prevented a serious analysis of the economic impact. Furthermore, the party accuses the government of basing the budget on unrealistic estimates and of repeatedly resorting to exemptions from fiscal and budgetary legislation, thereby undermining financial stability. A central point of the complaint concerns social rights. AUR argues that the refusal to index pensions in accordance with the law violates constitutional principles regarding the protection of citizens.
Femicide. On Wednesday, the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, acting as the decision-making body, passed the law on preventing and combating femicide. According to the legislation, femicide is defined as “the intentional killing of a woman or her death as a result of an intentional crime committed against her.” The law introduces harsher penalties for this type of violence, strict measures to protect victims, and, for the first time, includes gender equality in the school curriculum.
Eurostat. Romania ranks 21st in the EU in terms of standard of living. The latest Eurostat data takes into account the Gross Domestic Product per capita—specifically, how much money a person earns in a year—as well as purchasing power, which varies from one country to another because prices differ. This formula yields an annual European average of 41,600 euros per person in terms of purchasing power, and comparisons between member states are based on this benchmark. Ten EU countries exceed this figure, with Luxembourg and Ireland leading the way, at over 237% of the European average—which amounts to more than 99,000 Euro per person annually. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the least money is in Bulgaria and Greece, at just 68% of the European average, which amounts to just over 28,000 euros per person. Romania ranks 21st, at 78% of the average, or approximately 32,450 Euro per Romanian annually. Hungary trails Romania, which shares the same ranking as Croatia and is one spot behind Estonia.
Drone. A military drone penetrated 4 kilometers into Romanian airspace and crashed near the town of Parcheş (southeast) after being intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses, the Romanian Ministry of Defense reported today. According to the cited source, on the night of Wednesday into Thursday, Russian Federation forces carried out a new series of drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania, in the north of Tulcea County. Two F-16 aircraft took off to monitor the air situation. Residents in the area received a new extreme alert message, warning them of the possibility of objects falling from the air and providing recommendations for self-protection.
Iran. The U.S. sent Iran, via Pakistan, a 15-point peace proposal aimed at ending the war. Islamabad reportedly gave Tehran the peace plan just as the Pentagon ordered the deployment of 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division, a rapid air intervention force trained to parachute into hostile territories or to secure key territories and airports. It is not yet clear whether they will be deployed inside Iran. Among the plans the Trump administration is considering is the capture of Kharg Island, an Iranian territory in the Persian Gulf, from which Tehran exports approximately 90% of its oil. U.S. officials have indicated that ground forces could likely capture the island quickly, but would have to withstand Iranian drone and missile strikes while they are there.
Football. Romania’s national football team faces Turkey today in Istanbul in the playoff for qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Depending on the results of the playoff semifinals, the team coached by Mircea Lucescu will play in Slovakia or Kosovo on March 31. The Tricolors’ record in Istanbul stands, as of today, at 8 matches played in Turkey’s former capital, with two wins for each team and 4 matches ending in a draw, according to frf.ro. Romania’s last appearance at a World Cup was in 1998, in France. (MI)
