September 3, 2026 UPDATE

The latest news from RRI

Newsroom, 03.09.2026, 20:00

Visit – Romania would like an “ambitious” future European Union budget, with substantial allocations for Cohesion and Agriculture, President Nicușor Dan said during a joint press conference with the European Council President Antonio Costa. The president on Thursday hosted the European official, who is visiting to consult on Romania’s priorities and concerns. The Romanian president said the talks focused on the negotiation of the future EU budget for the 2028-2034 period. He noted that the country advocates for an “ambitious” budget that would enable Romania to narrow the gap with other European nations. The president of the EU Council Antonio Costa said that recent violations of Romanian airspace, as well as incidents involving maritime drones, are “deeply concerning” and the EU will continue to stand firmly with Romania, because the security of Romania is Europe’s security as well. “We must continue to work united for a just and lasting peace”, Costa said. He concluded by voicing his gratitude for the strong support Romania has provided to the Republic of Moldova on its path towards the European Union. The European Council President also travels to Bulgaria and Greece. He has already visited Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia and Luxembourg.

Drone – Russia’s ambassador to Bucharest, Vladimir Lipaev, will be summoned to the Romanian Foreign Ministry over the drone attack at Leipzig Airport, said Romania’s acting foreign minister Oana Ţoiu. She emphasized that the authorities in Bucharest stand in solidarity with Germany and other European states that have faced hybrid activities, interference and reckless, persistent provocations from Russia. “We are acting decisively and together, as EU member states and NATO allies,” Oana Ţoiu added. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gave assurances that pressure on Russia would continue and even intensify following a hybrid drone attack on Leipzig airport that has been blamed on Moscow.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea defeated France’s Diane Parry in straight sets in the second round of the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year. In the next round, 36-year-old Cîrstea, who is seeded 16th at this tournament, will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini on Friday. Cîrstea has had a good run in grand slams this year, reaching the second round of the Australian Open, the quarterfinals in Roland Garros and the third round at Wimbledon.

Salary rights – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest has postponed until September 17 its final ruling in the case, which it won in the first instance against the Government and the Ministry of Finance, regarding the payment of outstanding salary entitlements to judges, resulting from retroactive increases established by court rulings. The case is currently in the appeals phase, after the Bucharest Court of Appeals, on May 5, upheld the action filed by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and ordered the Government and the Ministry of Finance to pay the magistrates’ outstanding salary entitlements, including through a budget amendment. The amount at stake in this case is approximately 5 billion lei (approx. 950 million euros).

Magistracy – Romania’s President Nicuşor Dan visited the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) on Thursday. This is president Dan’s first visit to this body, where he presided over an item on the agenda of the plenary session, the one concerning the appointment of prosecutors to the Special Section that investigates magistrates. Nicuşor Dan left the SCM headquarters after about 10 minutes, and upon exiting, he stated that Romania has a shortage of prosecutors in that section. He noted that it is important for these positions to be filled, as suspicions of criminal activity among magistrates undermine citizens’ trust in the Romanian state.

Conference – Mirabela Grădinaru, the partner of Romania’s president, attended the international conference “Online Safety and the Digital Determinants of Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being Among Children and Adolescents” in Chişinău on Thursday, alongside the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Discussions included the ban on cell phones in schools and holding online social media platforms accountable. Additionally, European-level data was presented showing that young people spend between four and six hours a day in front of screens, and approximately 60% of children have already experienced psychosocial problems online. Representatives from the World Health Organization, the European Union, and UNICEF also attended the event. Mirabela Grădinaru has chaired several events in Bucharest on topics relevant to society, including online safety for young people. (LS)