May 13, 2026 UPDATE

The latest news from RRI

Newsroom, 13.05.2026, 20:00

Summit – The allies of the Summit of the Bucharest Nine (B9) Format and the Nordic countries support a just and lasting peace, in accordance with international law and based on solid and credible security guarantees, according to the Joint Declaration signed by the leaders present at the B9 summit in Bucharest on Wednesday. The signatories of the text note that Russia is and will remain the most significant and direct long-term threat to the security of the Allies and reiterate their commitment to contributing to collective defense. The presidents of Romania, Nicuşor Dan, and of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, co-chaired the summit. During a press conference following the event, the president Dan stated that it is necessary to increase defense spending and has reminded that Romania currently allocates 2.5% of its GDP to this sector. He described the meeting as an opportunity to take stock of the implementation of NATO commitments, as well as to reaffirm support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. “Russia is and will remain the most serious long-term threat to NATO. The aggression against Ukraine is a challenge to the North Atlantic security architecture. The answer lies in solidarity,” said the Polish president in turn. Present at the meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that “together we are stronger and safer in NATO.” “Russia remains a direct threat to NATO; we cannot let our guard down,” added Mark Rutte. Leaders from the member states of the format (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Hungary) and from the Nordic countries were present in Bucharest. The United States was represented by Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno.

Statistics – Romania’s Gross Domestic Product fell by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the last three months of the previous year, according to data released on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Compared to the same quarter of 2025, the Gross Domestic Product declined by 1.7%. According to the figures, Romania’s economy has entered a technical recession after two consecutive quarters of decline. Also on Wednesday, the INS announced that the annual inflation rate rose to 10.71% in April, up from 9.87% in March. During this period, services became 13% more expensive, non-foods’ prices increased by 12%, and foods’ prices by nearly 7.4%. In February, the National Bank of Romania revised its inflation forecast for the end of this year upward, from 3.7% to 3.9%, and projected that it would reach 2.7% by the end of 2027. The central bank will hold a monetary policy meeting on Friday, May 15, following the announcement by the National Institute of Statistics.

Meeting – The acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan met on Wednesday with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Mattias Guyomar, who is visiting Bucharest. According to a press release, during the meeting, Ilie Bolojan confirmed the Romanian government’s commitment to respecting European human rights standards and implementing ECHR rulings. He highlighted the progress made by Romania in implementing ECHR rulings, as well as in improving the legislative and institutional framework, a process that has contributed to reducing the number of applications filed with the Court by Romanian citizens. For his part, Mattias Guyomar commended Romania’s progress in managing cases pending before the ECHR, noting that in recent years there has been a “significant” decrease in cases, of approximately 35%. At the same time, he welcomed the institutional dialogue and the openness of the Romanian authorities in promoting democratic values and fundamental rights.

European projects – Documents were signed on Wednesday, in Bucharest, establishing the financial mechanisms for the next phase of support that Romania is receiving from Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. According to the acting Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragoş Pîslaru, this amounts to 600 million Euros for Romania’s development, in the form of non-reimbursable grants. He noted that, to date, Bucharest has received one billion Euros from the three countries. Projects have been supported in the fields of renewable energy, environmental protection, research and innovation, social inclusion, education, culture, and judicial reform, as well as in strengthening civil society and democratic governance, Dragos Paslaru added. (LS)