May 21, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 21.05.2026, 13:55
Consultations. President Nicuşor Dan today continued official consultations for the designation of a new prime minister. The MPs of the United for Romania and Pace – Romania First groups, as well as those not affiliated, have also been invited to take part in the consultations. The United for Romania group conveyed that it wants to contribute to the future government program and will support any formula that the head of state will find appropriate for Romania. In turn, Pace – Romania First spoke in favour of a government made up of several political forces, Pace, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians and the Social Democratic Party or just Pace and the latter. Earlier this week, the president held a first round of talks with the representatives of the parliamentary political parties and groups in order to designate the candidate for the position of prime minister, but no solution was found. President Nicuşor Dan said he will continue consultations until a solid, pro-Western majority option takes shape. We recall that the government led by the Liberal Ilie Bolojan, made up of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, was dismissed by a no-confidence motion, after the Social Democratic Party left the government.
EU funding. Romanian MEP Victor Negrescu has called on pro-European political parties in Romania to show responsibility to ensure that Romania benefits from all financial resources available under the EU-funded National Recovery and Resilience Plan, in the context in which the country risks losing between 10 and 15 billion euros. According to Agepres, Negrescu said the amendment of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which can be made until May 31, must be coherent, consistent and well negotiated with Brussels. A Romanian government delegation will travel to Brussels on Friday for the final negotiation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the release of the remaining 10 billion euros under the programme. The talks with representatives of the European Commission come after the recent approval of payment request number 4, worth over 2.6 billion euros, which took the level of implementation of the Plan to more than 60%.
NATO. This weekend, NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, the last meeting before the summit in Ankara. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has mentioned the idea of allies helping Ukraine with a fixed percentage of 0.25% of their national GDP. The idea has not been well received by some members, but Mark Rutte expressed hope that, once this discussion begins, support for Kyiv will be more consistent and allies will share the costs more equitably among themselves. The NATO Secretary General also praised the allied operation in which a Romanian pilot on board an F-16 aircraft recently shot down a stray drone over Estonia.
Celebrations. 21st May this year marks three important dates for Romanians: the Ascension of the Lord, Heroes Day and the Feast Day of Saints Constantine and Helena. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Ascension Day, the moment when Jesus ascended to heaven after Resurrection. This day has also been the national day of honouring heroes since 1920. The defence ministry is holding military and religious ceremonies today in Bucharest and around the country dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for their country. Romania’s diplomatic and consular offices abroad are also hosting events to honour the memory of Romanian heroes who fell and were buried on the territory of other states. Saints Constantine and Helena, the spiritual patrons of the Patriarchal Cathedral, are also celebrated today. Almost 1.8 million Romanians are named after the two saints.
Theatre. The Craiova International Shakespeare Festival is getting under way today with a series of events dedicated to Japanese culture. The programme features, among others, an opening parade inspired by traditional matsuri festivals, a tea ceremony and the staging of “Titus Andronicus: Reborn”, a production of the Japanese company Kakushinhan. Until May 31, the festival brings together over 450 events and theatre companies from over 70 different countries. The performances will take place at the National Theatre and at other venues and outdoor locations across the city. The lineup of this year’s 15th edition has the most extensive programme in the festival’s three decade long existence. The agenda includes, among many others, concerts, exhibitions, interactive installations, workshops, conferences, book launches and film screenings. (CM)
