May 4, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 04.05.2026, 13:55
VICTORY – Former Romanian international Cristian Chivu won his first title as a coach with Inter Milan on Sunday evening, after his team defeated Parma 2–0 at home in the 35th round of the Italian first division. Inter secured its 21st championship title in Chivu’s first season on the bench, after the former defender coached only 13 Serie A matches last season with Parma, a team he managed to save from relegation. With three rounds remaining, Inter holds a 12‑point lead over second‑placed Napoli, last year’s champions by a one‑point margin. As a player, Chivu won three titles with Inter.
ROBOTICS – Romania has the best-performing student teams in robotics: four Romanian groups took the top positions at the “FIRST Tech Challenge” world championship held in Houston, United States, between April 29 and May 2. The “Velocity” team from the “Gheorghe Munteanu‑Murgoci” High School in Brăila won the championship. Second place went to the “Hearts of Robots” team from the “Bogdan Petriceicu Hașdeu” National College in Buzău, and third place was claimed by the “Quantum Robotics” team from the International High School of Informatics in Bucharest. Fourth place was also secured by a Romanian team, “AI Citizens,” from the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” National College in Focșani. “Romania is proud of you,” President Nicușor Dan wrote in a message posted on Facebook. He recalled meeting some of the students in April, during their training camp at the West University of Timișoara, and said he had been impressed by their energy and creativity. The “FIRST Tech Challenge” is a major robotics competition for students in grades VII–XII, involving the design, construction, and programming of a robot.
GOVERNMENT – Thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday evening in Bucharest and in the western cities of Oradea and Timișoara to show support for the government led by liberal prime minister Ilie Bolojan. Participants said they trust the prime minister and believe the reforms underway will contribute to Romania’s economic recovery. On Tuesday, Parliament is set to vote on the motion of censure submitted by the Social Democrats – until recently part of the pro‑European governing coalition – together with the ultranationalist AUR party. The initiators argue that Romania does not need a prime minister who, in their view, promotes austerity measures, avoids dialogue, blocks economic recovery solutions, and prepares the sale of strategic state assets. PNL and USR, former coalition partners of PSD, warn that the Social Democrats will no longer be considered a pro‑European party if they vote alongside AUR to dismiss the cabinet.
CURRENCY – The Romanian leu opened the trading week at its weakest level on record. On Thursday, the final working day before the May 1st mini‑holiday, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) set the official exchange rate for the euro at 5.14 lei. According to BNR spokesman Dan Suciu, the foreign exchange market experienced significant turbulence, a pattern typical during periods of uncertainty. He noted that the situation has begun to stabilize, based on data gathered by the central bank’s specialists, though this does not mean that all uncertainties have disappeared. Flavius Jakubowicz, president of the Association of Financial and Banking Analysts, told Radio Romania that the recent exchange‑rate developments should be viewed primarily through the lens of domestic political risk and concerns about government stability, all unfolding against a backdrop of existing economic imbalances.
PRESIDENCY – Romanian President Nicuşor Dan is attending the 8th summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Yerevan. Together with President Maia Sandu, he will participate in the Group for the Republic of Moldova, which meets within the framework of the event. President Nicuşor Dan is also taking part today in a meeting organized by Romania on the strategic energy infrastructure project aimed at connecting gas networks in Central and Eastern Europe. The project, known as the Vertical Corridor, is designed to enable the transport of American liquefied natural gas and natural gas from Azerbaijan from south to north, as well as to capitalize on resources from the Black Sea. Its objectives include diversifying supply sources, reducing dependence on Russia, and strengthening regional energy security. Representatives from Greece and eight other East European countries, including Moldova and Ukraine, are participating in the meeting.
FUNDS – The Government is expected today to present the status of European funds attracted through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) for each ministry, and to adopt two emergency orders aimed at speeding up absorption. Romania faces an August 31 deadline to complete the reforms it has committed to, and any project not finalized by then will result in permanently lost funding. Recently, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru, announced that Romania succeeded in recovering 350.7 million euros from the NRRP, funds that had initially been suspended. However, the country will permanently lose 458.7 million euros from payment request no. 3.
FILM – The European Film Festival returns to Timișoara, in western Romania, with a series of special screenings dedicated to contemporary cinema, taking place between May 8 and 10 at Cinema Studio. Marking its 30th anniversary, the event brings audiences a selection of seven European films by directors from Germany, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Austria. The program includes dramas, documentaries and comedies that explore current themes and compelling stories, all appreciated on the international stage. One of Romania’s most important cultural projects at present, the European Film Festival aims this year to highlight artistic diversity, freedom of expression and intercultural dialogue through film. The festival is organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute, with support from the Representation of the European Commission in Romania and EUNIC Romania, in partnership with the Romanian Filmmakers Union, European embassies and cultural institutes. For cinema lovers, the event offers a new opportunity to discover award‑winning films, diverse cultural perspectives and stories that transcend language and geography. (EE)
