May 22, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 22.05.2026, 19:50
SAFE. Romania’s interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan said on Friday that by signing the SAFE agreement with the European Union, Romania will have major advantages, beginning with the modernisation of its army. Bucharest will be getting access to European funding of roughly 16.7 billion euros – the second highest amount in the EU under this instrument after Poland – to be invested in defence, security and strategic infrastructure. In the meantime, the senators in Parliament’s committee for constitutionality have until next week to provide an opinion on the notification issued by the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party Sorin Grindeanu. He claims there is a legal conflict of a constitutional nature between Parliament and the government with respect to adopting the emergency order on investment under the SAFE programme. Grindeanu says the government discussed and approved the order after being dismissed through a vote of no-confidence and had no legal right to make such decisions. According to Grindeanu, the document also included provisions that are not linked to the defence investment programme. Interim prime minister and leader of the National Liberal Party Ilie Bolojan, however, says the move is a “publicity stunt”.
Wages. The president’s office announced on Friday that following a mediation process under its coordination, the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which used to form a government coalition, signed an agreement pledging to pass the new salary law in the public sector by the end of the current Parliamentary session. The law, which is an essential part in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, needs to be passed by July 1st. According to the president’s office, the law will not lead to a cut in public employee’s incomes and the salary expenses in 2027 are not going to exceed those of 2026 by more than 1.6 billion euros, nor will it lead to Romania not meeting its fiscal goals. The new salary law is to come into effect on January 1, 2027, and is to be subject to no further amendments.
Defence. Defence minister Radu Miruţă visited the Siauliai air base in Lithuania on Friday, where he met the soldiers of the Romanian Carpathian Vipers detachment. According to a press release, the main responsibilities of the Romanian military within the Reinforced Air Policing mission in the Baltic airspace, cooperation with allies in current missions, as well as the main challenges of the mission in Lithuania were presented. The detachment is made up of approximately 100 soldiers and ensures the Reinforced Air Policing Service between April and July 2026. On the sidelines of the visit, the minister had talks with his Lithuanian counterpart, Robertas Kaunas. The two discussed issues relating to the security of NATO’s Eastern Flank and the adaptation of defence capabilities to new types of threats. The talks focused on the development and integration of anti-drone capabilities on the Eastern Flank, as well as on the importance of operational cooperation between allied states. The Lithuanian official praised the professionalism of the Romanian military and the results achieved in the missions carried out in the Baltic airspace, including the recent success of the Carpathian Vipers detachment in neutralising a drone. The two officials stressed the importance of stepping up the development of the European and regional defence industry, so that it can respond more quickly to operational requirements and increased demand for equipment as a result of the current security context.
NATO. The number and intensity of hybrid threats, especially coming from Russia, will increase in the allied space, said Romania’s acting foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu, who attended a meeting of NATO foreign ministers held in Helsingborg, Sweden. The event focused on the preparation of the NATO Summit in Ankara, which will emphasise the implementation of the commitments taken in The Hague (including the increase in defence spending and the consolidation of the transatlantic defence industry), on the strengthening of deterrence and allied defence across the Eastern Flank, as well as on continued of support for Ukraine. In this context, Oana Ţoiu called for the resumption of peace efforts and the need for increased pressure on Russia to sit down at the negotiating table. She emphasised the challenges generated by the security situation in the Black Sea area, including for the Republic of Moldova, which needs support in order to boost its resilience to the effects of war and to Russia’s hybrid threats.
Theatre. The 15th edition of the International Shakespeare Festival got underway in Craiova, southern Romania on Thursday. Staged every other year, the festival brings together over 450 events and theatre professionals from around the world until May 31. Theatre lovers will be able to watch performances at the local National Theatre as well as at other locations and outdoor venues around the city. Productions inspired by Shakespeare’s works will also staged free of charge in public squares, shopping centres and other locations in the city. This year’s edition is the biggest to date, including among other things concerts, exhibitions, workshops, interactive installations, conferences, book launches and film screenings. (CM)
