May 2, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 02.05.2026, 13:45
EU funding. Romania has recovered almost 351 million euros of funding initially suspended from payment request number 3 as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, but is losing approximately 459 million euros due to delayed or inadequately implemented reforms. The announcement was made by the minister for investments and European projects, Dragoş Pîslaru. The government will present on Monday the stage of funding attraction under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will adopt two emergency order to speed up the absorption. According to Minister Pîslaru, granting the money still depends on Romania’s fulfilling the commitments taken in Brussels.
Drones. Romania has notified the UN Security Council of the incidents related to the Russian drones entering its national territory, said Romanian foreign affairs minister Oana Ţoiu. She recalled that the Russian ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry to be informed of Bucharest’s firm protest against these repeated incidents. Recently, a drone loaded with explosives damaged a household in Romania. On Friday night, a group of 20 drones of the Russian Federation were detected by the radars of the Romanian defence ministry in the area of the Ismail village in Ukraine, on the border with Romania. One of the drones entered Romanian airspace for a short time. Two F-16 aircraft from the Air Police combat service took off from the Feteşti air base (south), and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations sent a text alert message to residents of the border region.
Media. The Romanian Public Television, in partnership with Radio Romania and the National Press Agency Agerpres, is hosting a debate on Sunday entitled The Role and Mission of Public Media, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. According to the Romanian Television, the event aims to put the spotlight on topics of major interest for society, against a media environment that is constantly changing, and to provide an open framework for dialogue and an exchange of ideas among the most important players in this field. The Romanian Television, Radio Romania and Agerpres thus wish to contribute to strengthening the role of public media and foster better understanding of the current challenges in this area.
Holiday. It’s a long weekend in Romania, as Labour Day is a bank holiday in this country. Many people are spending the days off at the seaside or in the mountains. The occupancy rate in the popular mountain resorts in the Southern Carpathians is almost 75%, and 45 thousand tourists are estimated to spend the weekend on the Black Sea coast, fewer, however, compared to previous years, also in part due to the overcast and cold weather. Around 25,000 interior ministry staff have been mobilized across the country to ensure public safety during the Labour Day weekend.
Anniversary. The Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Margareta, and Prince Consort Radu on Friday met Romanians living in Stockholm and other cities in Sweden. The Romanian royal family is on a trip to this Nordic country to attend the official ceremonies on the 80th birthday anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf. They have frequently met Romanians from the diaspora over the years, most recently with those from Finland, Denmark, Estonia and The Netherlands. On Thursday evening, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Her Majesty, Margareta and the Prince Consort attended a gala dinner given by the King and Queen of Sweden. (CM)
