May 18, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 18.05.2026, 19:50

Consultations. Romanian President Nicuşor Dan announced on Monday evening that he would continue the series of consultations until a government majority option—which he described as solid and pro-Western—takes shape. In a press statement published on the Presidential Administration’s website, the head of state calls on parliamentary parties to show responsibility and maturity and to reach a common ground within a reasonable timeframe, with coherent proposals and viable solutions. Consultations at the Presidency, held throughout the day, did not result in the formation of a majority to support the creation of a new government. On May 5, the minority PNL-USR-UDMR Cabinet, led by the Liberal Ilie Bolojan, was dismissed via a motion of no confidence.

Rating. Standard & Poor’s has affirmed Romania’s long- and short-term foreign and local currency debt ratings. However, the outlook remains negative. The rating agency had just assessed Romania in April as part of its standard schedule, but the new assessment comes in response to an exceptional situation, namely the fact that parliament dismissed Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. The agency commends the fiscal consolidation measures that have led to a reduction in the budget deficit, but also highlights the main vulnerabilities: the still-high budget deficit, significant external financing needs, and the risks posed by political instability in a complex regional context

Eurovision. The general director of Teleradio in the Republic of Moldova, Vlad Ţurcanu, resigned on Monday following the controversy that erupted after the vote cast by the Chişinău jury in the final of the pan-European Eurovision Song Contest. Ţurcanu emphasized that the mere three points awarded by the jury to Romania do not reflect the position of the institution he represents and that he was unable to influence the assessment made by the jury members from the Republic of Moldova. “Even though we have distanced ourselves from the decisions of the jury tasked with scoring the artistic performances at the Eurovision final in Vienna, the vote cast is our responsibility and, first and foremost, mine, as the head of the institution (…) Our feelings toward Romania can only be ones of love”— Țurcanu said.

Poll. 38.2% of Romanian voters would vote for AUR (the nationalist opposition), 20.3% for PNL (in the coalition government), 17.5% for PSD (which recently left the government), followed by USR with 10% and UDMR with 5% (both partnered with the Liberals in the government). The remaining parties would not reach the 5% electoral threshold, according to a poll conducted by INSCOP Research between May 11 and 14 and published on Monday. Another poll, published Sunday by CURS, also placed AUR in first place with 32%, followed by the PSD with 24%, the PNL with 20%, the USR with 10%, and the UDMR with 5%.

Strike.  Employees of the government administration in Bucharest began a work-to-rule strike on Monday, which is set to last all week. This form of protest involves only wearing white armbands, without interrupting work. The strikers are demanding the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu, whom they accuse of influence peddling, favoring a German business group, and calling the union a “political tool.” The Deputy Prime Minister rejected the accusations and explained that the discussions with the German group were neither secret nor commercial in nature and had been publicly announced as early as January.

Tennis. Romanian Sorana Cîrstea, a recent semifinalist at the Rome tournament, has reached a career-high ranking of 18 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings, released on Monday. Cîrstea has climbed nine spots from her ranking two weeks ago. Until now, her career-high ranking was 21st, in 2013. Romania has three representatives in the Top 100 in singles; besides Sorana Cîrstea, there are Jaqueline Cristian at No. 33 (down five spots) and Gabriela Ruse at No. 71 (down four spots). The same three Romanian players are also in the Top 100 in doubles: Sorana Cîrstea at No. 79, Gabriela Ruse at No. 86, and Jaqueline Cristian at No. 93. (MI)