May 21, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 21.05.2026, 20:25

ENVIRONMENT The Romanian government on Thursday approved the Environment Fund that this year stands at roughly 1.1 billion Euros and that would allow for the continuation of nearly 500 projects, which have already getting started. Other new projects could be kicked off such as the one on sewage and running water, which has a budget of almost 290 million Euros. The interim Environment Minister, Diana Buzoianu has announced the budget for the Rabla programme aimed at renewing the country’s car fleet is over 57 million Euros, 19 million more than last year. The vouchers’ value are kept at the level of last year, but they can be used only to buy vehicles produced or assembled in Europe or in countries, which run special conventions with the EU. The budget for a new programme on reforestation has been established at 76 million Euros, whereas 133 Euros have been earmarked for public lighting.

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%.

TALKS At the end of the talks he held on Thursday for the designation of a new Prime Minister with MPs from the groups, United for Romania and Peace – Romania First, as well as those unaffiliated, Romania’s President, Nicusor Dan, appreciated their openness to dialogue. The Romanian president underlined the need for a good inter-institutional  cooperation mainly against a background that is complicated for Romania. Upon the aforementioned talks, the group United for Romania said they wanted to contribute to the future ruling programme backing any formula the President would find appropriate for Romania. In turn, Peace-Romania First stood for a government made up of several political forces, Peace, AUR and PSD or only Peace and AUR. On Monday, President Dan held talks with representatives of PSD, AUR, PNL, USR and UDMR, the group of the national minorities, SOS Romania and POT, but the talks ended in a deadlock. The President has given assurances the talks will continue until a solid, pro-Western majority is formed. We recall the government led by the Liberal Ilie Bolojan and made up of PNL, USR and UDMR was sacked through a vote of no confidence after the PSD had left the ruling coalition.

DRONE Metal parts most likely belonging to a drone were discovered on Thursday on a beach in the Romanian Black Sea resort of Eforie Nord, sources with the Coast Guard of the Romanian Border Police have announced. The right measures have been taken to isolate the area, while experts with the Coast Guard and from other defence structures have launched an inquiry into the incident.

BODY The body of the second Romanian woman trapped under the rubble of an apartment building that collapsed on Monday in the German town of Gorlitz was recovered by rescuers on Thursday. The news has been published on the webpage of the aforementioned town in eastern Germany, close to the border with Poland, but also on Facebook, by the town’s Romanian-born mayor, Octavian Ursu. The family of the 26 year old victim has been announced. The body of another deceased Romanian woman, aged 25, was identified on Wednesday and her death was also confirmed by the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest. Rescuers are looking for a third person, a 48 year old man with double citizenship German and Bulgarian. The causes, which led to the collapse of the building, remain unknown.

(bill)