September 9, 2026
A roundup of domestic and world news
Newsroom, 09.09.2026, 13:55
Funeral – Romania’s Acting Foreign Minister, Oana Ţoiu, is attending the funeral of King Harald V of Norway in Oslo today. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the ceremony is being officiated by the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit, and the burial is taking place at Akershus Fortress. Members of royal families from around the world and heads of state from dozens of countries are attending the funeral. King Harald V (89) died on August 28 at the National Hospital in Oslo. He was succeeded by his son, King Haakon VIII.
PISA – According to the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) 2025 results published by the OECD, 52% of 15-year-old Romanian students do not reach the basic proficiency level in mathematics, and 48% do not reach it in reading. Furthermore, 57% of students in Romania score results below the basic proficiency level in problem-solving using digital tools. Following the publication of the results, President Nicuşor Dan stated that public policies are needed that prioritize the early identification and support of students at educational risk. In his turn, the Acting Education Minister Mihai Dimian said that various measures have been implemented in recent years to improve student performance.
Cycling – The Tour of Romania cycling race begins today in Chişinău, the capital of neighboring Moldova, a first in the competition’s history. According to the organizers, more than 130 athletes from 14 countries, grouped into 21 teams, are participating. The Tour of Romania, now in its 58th edition, will conclude on September 13 in Bucharest.
Survey – Most Romanians, nearly 64%, believe it is more important for the parties to reach an agreement as quickly as possible to form a government with full powers, even if each party has to make some compromises, according to a poll published by INSCOP. According to the sociological survey, however, about 27% believe it is more important for the parties not to make significant compromises, even if the process takes longer. The poll, conducted between September 1 and 7 with a margin of error of +/- 3%, was carried out against the backdrop of Romania having been without a stable government since early May, following Parliament’s adoption of a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet led by the Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, who continues to serve as interim prime minister.
Drone attack – Two civilians were killed and three were wounded in a Russian drone attack on a Ukrainian border crossing near the border with the Republic of Moldova. According to Ukrainian authorities, the attack took place in the area of the Tudora (Republic of Moldova) – Starokazacie (Ukraine) border crossing. For their part, the Moldovan authorities announced that they are monitoring the situation and maintaining contact with the relevant Ukrainian institutions. The drone attack occurred as the temporary Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire expired on Monday, amid visits by U.S. negotiators to Moscow and Kyiv.
Espionage – A Russian citizen living in Romania, suspected of spying for Moscow, was arrested last night and remanded in custody for 30 days, according to a decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeals, which may be appealed. The man was detained by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) prosecutors after the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), which had been monitoring him since February in collaboration with the Ministries of the Interior and Defense, as well as foreign intelligence services, alleged that the man had been instructed to photograph and film critical infrastructure related to the national defense and security system. The SRI spokesperson stated that the Russian citizen had been instructed by an intermediary to take photos and videos of targets of strategic military interest, including Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft, during his stay on Romanian territory.
Public broadcasting – Romania’s public television and radio stations now have interim general directors, after the relevant decisions adopted by the standing committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate were published in the Official Gazette. These are Sorina Matei at the Romanian Television (TVR) and Răzvan Ioan Dincă at the Romania Radio Broadcasting Corporation (SRR). The interim appointments come after the Constitutional Court upheld complaints filed by the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) (the nationalist parliamentary opposition) regarding Parliament’s previous decisions on the appointment of members to the boards of directors of the two institutions. The Constitutional Court found that both decisions were unconstitutional because the seats allocated to parliamentary groups on the boards of the two public corporations did not take into account the political composition and share of the parliamentary groups. (LS)
