October 2, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 02.10.2026, 20:00

CONSULTATIONS – Romanian President Nicușor Dan will invite the presidents and representatives of the political parties and formations represented in Romania’s Parliament on Monday for consultations on the nomination of a candidate for the post of prime minister, the Presidential Administration said in a statement on Friday. According to the statement, the talks will begin with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and the National Liberal Party (PNL), and will conclude with unaffiliated MPs. Nicușor Dan has asked the parties to come to the consultations with viable solutions. He has ruled out AUR being part of a new government, explaining that this would affect Romania’s relations with its partners, and has assured that the country’s pro-Western direction will be maintained and that its financial commitments will be honored. The president has already announced that he will nominate a new prime minister on Monday, at the end of the talks. Romania’s Parliament in Bucharest failed to give a vote of confidence on Wednesday to the government proposed by Liberal MEP Siegfried Mureșan. It is the second government to fail to secure parliamentary approval, following that of Liberal politician Adrian Veștea in June. It has been almost five months since the PSD and AUR brought down the government led by Liberal Ilie Bolojan in May through a motion of no confidence.

CASE – Romania’s interim prime minister, Liberal politician Ilie Bolojan, was questioned as a witness on Friday at the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) office in Iași, north-eastern Romania, in a case in which a businessman is accused of incitement to blackmail and influence peddling. Prosecutors wanted details about a meeting the prime minister had with businessman Fănel Bogos at the government headquarters in September last year. Bogos is suspected of having paid for the meeting and of trying to persuade Bolojan to dismiss the head of the Vaslui Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate in eastern Romania. The businessman is alleged to have been unhappy about frequent inspections of his farms by officials from the Vaslui Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate, which he said had caused him financial losses. The same case also involves former deputy secretary general of the government Cristina Trăilă and former chairman of the PNL Vaslui branch Mihai Barbu. Both are suspected of arranging the meeting between Bolojan and Bogos.

STUDENTS – In France, where student protests are expected to continue, more than 400 schools were closed on Friday, with classes held online. On Thursday, police made 2,000 arrests after students blocked access to schools, while at least two schools were set on fire. Protests by French school and university students have intensified, with further violence reported amid the involvement of far-left activists who are said by news agencies to have fuelled the unrest. More than 1,000 secondary schools have been affected, many of them suffering significant damage as a result of fires and vandalism. The anger among young people has caused disruption in several cities, bringing public transport to a standstill and damaging street furniture. The student movement began with the stated aim of calling for increased government funding for education, a less demanding curriculum and better conditions in schools and boarding facilities. “The violence that has taken place in schools and in their vicinity is extremely serious and goes far beyond issues concerning the education system. No grievance can justify such acts,” the French education minister said.

DIASPORA – President Nicușor Dan has told Romanians living abroad that Romania has made progress over the past 20 years and urged them to consider returning home. Speaking in Bucharest at the ninth edition of the RePatriot Gala, the president stressed that the country needs a competitive and predictable business environment. RePatriot brings together more than 300 Romanian entrepreneurs, managers and professionals from the diaspora, selected for their achievements, contributions and impact in the countries where they live and work. On Friday, participants in the Black Sea resort of Mamaia, in south-eastern Romania, discussed Romania’s role on Europe’s front line of defence and developments in the Black Sea region, with a focus on security, energy, infrastructure, trade and technology.

DRONE – Romania’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that another drone had crashed near the village of Plauru, in Tulcea County in south-eastern Romania, close to the country’s river border with Ukraine. The crash was followed by a fire, but there were no casualties or material damage, the ministry said. According to the ministry, an emergency response vehicle from the General Inspectorate for Emergencies(IGSU), along with Defence Ministry teams, was sent to the site to put out the fire.

MILITARY – One of Europe’s largest interoperability exercises came to an end in Romania on Friday. According to the Romanian Gendarmerie, more than 500 soldiers and gendarmes from 19 countries across three continents took part in the drills. The military exercises, held from 27 September to 2 October, took place in four counties in southern Romania. The training included tactical simulations and troop movements.

(EE)