October 16, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 16.10.2026, 19:50

Summit. Romanian President Nicuşor Dan has attended a summit of European leaders in Brussels, where the main topic of discussion was the European Union’s budget for 2028-2034. Talks were tense, with the 27 member states divided, some calling for a smaller budget while others want it increased. EU enlargement was also on the agenda in Brussels, after the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine opened two more negotiating clusters this week. Consultations were also held on security in the Black Sea region, following attacks on commercial vessels in recent weeks amid the Russian-Ukrainian war. Romania and the states on the Eastern Flank are seeking greater attention from the Union toward this region. Beyond the strictly European approach, Romania and Bulgaria have also turned to their NATO allies for additional equipment; in the coming days, ambassadors from the allied nations will meet for a North Atlantic Council meeting specifically called to address this matter. In Brussels, EU member states are working to increase aid to Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was invited to attend the summit on Friday. He said Europe possesses enough interceptor missiles to help his country get through the winter, and he expressed hope that the F-16 fighter jets promised by Belgium would be delivered as soon as possible. Beyond defense needs, Kyiv must also cover a budget deficit for next year amounting to approximately 33 billion dollars. The Europeans have said they will continue to support Ukraine until peace is achieved.

Government. Romania’s prime minister-designate, Luca Niculescu, on Thursday submitted his government programme and the list of proposed ministers to Parliament. Hearings for the candidates before the relevant parliamentary committees will take place on Monday and Tuesday, while a joint session of Parliament to vote on the government’s investiture is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. So far, the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, unaffiliated MPs, and representatives of national minorities have announced that they will vote for the Niculescu government. The Liberals initially indicated that they would support the cabinet, but noted that a final decision would be reached on Saturday. On the other hand, the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians, in opposition, has announced that it will not vote for the Niculescu government, while the Save Romania Union decided on Friday evening to vote against it. Of the 17 proposed ministers, 11 are from the Social Democratic Party, while six are independent, including some in key positions such as finance and foreign affairs. According to the prime minister-designate, the government’s first months in office will focus primarily on revising this year’s budget and drawing up next year’s budget, as well as supporting vulnerable people, reviving the economy and strengthening the country’s defence and security. 

Inflation. In September, Romania again recorded the highest inflation rate in the entire European Union, which the European Statistical Office put at 6.5%, well above the EU average of 3.8%. The general trend, however shows an increase compared to August, a trend also seen in Romania. Last month, Sweden had the lowest inflation rate, at just 1%. Earlier this week, the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest reported an annual inflation rate of 6.6% for September, driven primarily by a rise of over 11% in the cost of services and a 7% increase in the price of non-food goods. Food prices also rose by 3%.

Cyber attack. The Bucharest Stock Exchange announced that it was the target of a cyberattack last week. On October 8, hackers attacked the Central Depository, the body keeps the records of stock exchange shares and ensures the settlement of capital market transactions. The intrusion targeted the Online Services for Investors application, which is used to create accounts required for accessing the institution’s digital services. The Central Depository said that, as a result of the attack, users’ personal data, that is names, personal identification numbers, identity card series and numbers, email addresses and phone numbers, were accessed. However, passwords for the application were reportedly not compromised. The online application is currently unavailable but investors can access the Central Depository’s services via mail or in person.

Table tennis. The Romanian doubles pair Bernadette Szocs and Elizabeta Samara won the bronze medal in the women’s doubles at the European Table Tennis Championships in Ljubljana (Slovenia), after defeating 3-0 Tatiana Kukulkova (Slovakia) and Natalia Bajor (Poland) on Frdiay. This is Romania’s second bronze medal at the Ljubljana European Championships, after that won by Bernadette Szocs and Eduard Ionescu in the mixed doubles. In the women’s singles, Romania has three players in the round of last 16: Bernadette Szocs, Andreea Dragoman and Elena Zaharia. In the men’s singles, the only two Romanian players still in competition were eliminated in the round of last 32. At the previous edition, Bernadette Szocs won silver in both the women’s singles and the women’s doubles. (CM)