October 26, 2026

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 26.10.2026, 13:55

Government. The new government in Bucharest intends to carry out, this week, the first budget amendment of 2026, focused in particular on the health sector. The relevant ministry will receive funding for the medical facilities under its jurisdiction, and funds will also be allocated to the National Health Insurance House to cover the cost of medical services and reimburse the cost of medicines. Additional funds will also be channelled to the Ambulance Service and the Emergency Situations Inspectorate.  Meanwhile, Sorin Grindeanu, leader of the ruling PSD, stated today that he will not support tax increases for the public and Romanian companies in 2027. He also said that he would propose to the Prime Minister, the independent Luca Niculescu, two wide-ranging reforms for which the Government should take responsibility in Parliament: administrative and territorial reorganisation, through the amalgamation of small localities, and the reorganisation of central government, aimed at reducing the number of agencies and streamlining the operations of state-owned companies.

Elections. The President of Romania, Nicuşor Dan, today congratulated the Serbian people and the Students’ List party on their victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, which saw the highest voter turnout in decades. On social media, the head of state announced that the authorities in Bucharest are ready to work with the new government in Belgrade towards “an even stronger partnership”. Former President Aleksandar Vučić, who leads the Progressive Party, has conceded defeat. The opposition Students’ List secured around 140 parliamentary seats out of a total of 250, whilst Vučić’s party will not exceed 105. The result represents a personal defeat for Vučić, who, true to his populist rhetoric, blamed the independent press, unnamed European countries and the so-called American ‘parallel state’. In neighbouring Bulgaria, the acting president, Iliana Iotova, has won the first round of the presidential election and will face former acting prime minister Andrei Ghiurov in the run-off. According to exit polls, Iotova is reported to have secured between 35 and 36.5 per cent of the vote, whilst Ghiurov is said to have received no more than 32.5 per cent, against a backdrop of low voter turnout. Iotova is backed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s party and has spoken out in favour of dialogue with Russia, whilst Ghiurov is supported by the pro-European opposition.

Ban. The veterinary and public health authorities in Romania will convene all relevant associations on Tuesday to analyse the impact of the export ban on livestock farmers. The ban imposed by Brussels on the export of sheep and goats to the EU and third countries remains in force until 31 December. For the time being, temporary restrictions on the movement of sheep and goats throughout Romania remain in place to prevent the spread of disease. On Sunday, an emergency vaccination campaign against sheep and goat pox and small ruminant plague began in two counties in the south-east of the country.

Economy. Economic trends show that Romania is a country of contrasts, according to the latest Eurostat data on the subject. The Bucharest-Ilfov region ranks third in the EU in terms of economic growth over the last five years analysed by Eurostat, with a 33 per cent increase between 2019 and 2024. Romania’s capital and its surrounding area are surpassed only by two regions in Ireland. However, Romania also features in the ranking of the largest economic declines in the EU. The South-Muntenia region ranks fourth, whilst South-West-Oltenia is in fifth place. The largest declines were recorded in a region in Bulgaria, where real GDP fell by 20.5 per cent, followed by another region in Greece and the Groningen region in the Netherlands. Across the EU as a whole, GDP grew by 5.6 per cent in real terms over the same period. Of the 244 regions analysed, 197 exceeded their 2019 economic levels, whilst 46 recorded declines.

AFC. The Romanian Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu, is attending the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg on Monday and Tuesday. According to a press release from the relevant ministry in Bucharest, discussions will focus on issues of major importance for the future of European agriculture and farmers, with an emphasis on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027, trade developments in the agricultural sector and the setting of fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, the participants will prepare the European Union’s position ahead of the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, which is due to take place in November in Portugal, the source states.

Celebration. Today, Christians celebrate Saint Demetrius, the Myrrh-Giver, a Christian martyr from the 4th century. Over 250,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on this occasion. In Bucharest, on Patriarchate Hill, the Orthodox pilgrimage to the relics of Saint Demetrius the New, the city’s patron saint, continues. Following today’s liturgy, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church will solemnly proclaim the feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Military Martyrs, which will be included in the calendar for 26 October.

Accident. In Spain, nearly 90 people were injured in a serious road accident near Barcelona (north-east). The victims were travelling on a bus that plunged into a 20-metre-deep ravine. Radio Romania’s correspondent in Spain reports that a red alert has been issued. Fifteen ambulances and 30 fire crews have arrived at the scene. So far, the toll stands at 88 injured, of whom 18 are in a serious condition and 7 in a critical condition. They were taken by two helicopters, brought in especially for the occasion, to hospitals in Barcelona and Girona. Some of the passengers managed to get out under their own steam. The site is steep and difficult to access, and the rescue teams worked late into the night. (MI)