September 10, 2025 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 10.09.2025, 17:00
Defence. Romania will benefit from investments worth almost 17 billion euros under the SAFE programme to relaunch the EU’s defence industry. Total funds are worth 150 billion euros and only Poland will receive more than Romania. By means of advantageous loans, Romania will be able to fund essential projects to modernise its military equipment and develop its own production capacity.
Drones. On Tuesday night, Poland scrambled its air and NATO defence systems to shoot down drones that entered its territory, following a Russian air strike on Ukraine. Warsaw described the attack as “an act of aggression” that posed a real threat to the safety of its citizens. Polish prime minister Doland Tusk has stated that Warsaw is considering activating Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, under which a member state can convene a meeting of its NATO allies to consult on an issue that could threaten its security. The EU stands “in full solidarity with Poland”, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament. She denounced what she described as a “reckless” and “unprecedented” violation of Polish and European airspace by more than 10 Russian Shahed drones. From Bucharest, Romanian president Nicuşor Dan said “the flagrant violation of Polish airspace” is unacceptable and that Russia again demonstrated that it is behaving in an aggressive way and thwarts peace efforts in Ukraine. “Romania stands in full solidarity with Poland, our strategic partner and ally. We are united so that NATO and especially the eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, will be safer”, said president Dan. Russia’s representatives said Warsaw presented no proof that the drones it shot down came from Russia. Russian charge d’affaires in Poland, Andrey Ordash, who was summoned by the Polish foreign ministry, said the accusations are unfounded.
Airspace. The Romanian defence ministry said its radar surveillance systems on Tuesday night detected a group of aerial drones on the border, near Vylkove, in neighbouring Ukraine, a country invaded by Russian troops. Two F-16 planes of the Romania Air Force took off for research missions. An alert text message was sent to residents in the northern part of Tulcea county, in the south-east. According to the defence ministry, no entry of aerial vehicles was detected into the national airspace. The air alert came to an end and the planes returned to base. The ministry says it will maintain a high level of vigilance and will ensure the strict protection of the country’s air, sea and land space.
Resolution. On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Russia’s attempts to destabilize the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet republic with a Romanian-speaking majority) and stating that Russia’s interference aims to reverse the democratic progress of this state. MEPs criticise the intensification of hybrid operations and attempts at interference by Russia ahead of the parliamentary elections in Moldova on 28 September, according to a statement published on the European Parliament’s website. MEPs welcome Chisinau’s exemplary commitment to EU accession reforms and the steady progress made in this regard, despite significant internal and external challenges, including Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine and the Kremlin’s specific hybrid threats.
AmCham. American businesspeople operating in Romania are asking the country’s president, Nicuşor Dan, to intervene to eliminate the turnover tax. Representatives of the Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce believe that this tax sends a negative message to investors, who would be very difficult to convince to come to Romania if they have to pay tax before making a profit. Speaking at a specialist forum, the Romanian president said that the presence of American companies in Romania has meant development and prosperity, but also the transfer of know-how. Nicuşor Dan told businesspeople from across the Atlantic that the main priority of the coalition government in Bucharest is stability. The Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce represents over 600 American, international, and Romanian companies operating in Romania in over 30 sectors.
Education. Romanian education ministry says it is monitoring activity in schools amid protests from trade unions, including a rally and a protest march by teachers on the first day of the new school year. Data centralised by the ministry show that classes were held regularly in 98% of schools. Teachers are unhappy with the increase in teaching hours, the merger of some schools and bigger class sizes, among others. Trade unions call on the government to give up on these measures, which they say will affect children, and ask for the resignation of the education minister Daniel David. On Monday, on the day of the protest, after talks with president Nicuşor Dan, they said protests will continue and are not ruling out a general strike.
Football. Romania drew 2-all against Cyprus in a Group H match as part of the qualifying matches for next year’s World Cup to be hosted jointly by Canada, the US and Mexico. Romania were leading 2-nil, but received two goals towards the end of the match. Fans called for the resignation of manager Mircea Lucescu, and the sports journalists are naming Romanian football legend Gheorge Hagi as a possible replacement. In the same group, Austria defeated Bosnia away 2-1. Bosnia and Austria now have 12 points each, Romania 7, Cyprus 4 and San Marino 0. The last time Romania qualified for a world cup was in 1998, when the tournament was held in France.
