January 2-10, 2026

A look at the main headline-making events this past week

Roxana Vasile, 10.01.2026, 14:00

President Nicușor Dan in Paris

On Tuesday, the President of Romania attended in Paris a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine. The heads of state and government that make up the coalition expressed their commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and stated that they are prepared to engage in a system of guarantees that will be activated once a ceasefire comes into effect. At the same time, the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine signed a declaration of intent regarding the deployment of a multinational force after the ceasefire. Such a document, it was said, would deter further aggression against Ukraine, provide assurances that the country would not be forced to surrender, and that any peace agreement would not be violated in the future. According to Nicuşor Dan, the document, which is not public, specifies how security guarantees will be exercised, what responsibilities each of the participants in the Coalition of the Willing assumes, and who coordinates each of the guarantee elements. The head of state mentioned that Romania supports these decisions but will not send troops to Ukraine.

Queues and discontent

Romanian taxpayers began turning up in large numbers at local government offices in the first working days of this year, curious to find out how much their taxes on houses, land, and cars had increased. But also because, if they pay in the first three months of the year, they benefit from a discount. Since January 1, the amount of taxes has increased significantly—up to three times compared to last year—as a result of a decision by the PNL-PSD-USR-UDMR coalition government justified by the need to reduce the country’s deficit. More specifically, the executive decided on this increase so that local authorities would have more funds to use for both investments and employee salaries, and thus no longer depend on money from the government. The official platform ghișeul.ro, through which taxes and fees can be paid online, was extremely busy and was temporarily suspended. The reason: some localities did not update the new amounts to be paid on time. What’s more, many Romanians complained that their taxes had changed two or three times, even from one hour to the next. In addition to the increase in taxes and duties, fuel, cigarettes, and alcohol have also become more expensive following another increase in excise duties, and every parcel worth less than 150 Euro coming from outside the European Union is, as of this year, subject to an additional tax. A tax on cryptocurrencies has been introduced, and the annual basis for calculating contributions has been increased.

Internationally, Venezuela and Greenland are in the spotlight

Diplomats in Bucharest have announced that they are closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela in close cooperation with their partners in the European Union. A community with Romanian roots lives there, and the safety of citizens is a priority, which is why Romania’s diplomatic and consular missions in Latin America and the Consular Department of the Ministry are ready to provide assistance if necessary, with the support of the European Union’s permanent delegation, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said. On January 3, US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after an air strike on the capital Caracas and several regions in the north of the country. In response, Venezuela – the country with the largest oil reserves in the world – denounced a very serious military aggression. Also this week, Copenhagen has urged the United States to stop threatening to annex Greenland after President Donald Trump reaffirmed his desire to bring the autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark under US control. The European Union has stated that it will continue to defend the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders, especially if the territorial integrity of a member state of the Union is called into question.

The vagaries of winter

Snowfall and blizzards—which are normal for this time of year—have disrupted schools, transportation, and energy supplies in much of Romania. Although children returned to school on January 8 after a well-deserved winter break, dozens of schools in 15 counties across the country remained closed, classes were suspended, or it was decided to hold them online. In many regions, traffic has been affected by winter conditions, and on some county roads, especially in the mountains, traffic jams have been reported. After multiple interventions already carried out, repairs are continuing in order to restore electricity to thousands of homes left without power in several counties across the country. In Bucharest, after Thursday’s meeting of the National Energy Command, Romanians were assured that there would be no problems with natural gas due to low temperatures, as storage facilities are filled to approximately 70% of capacity. The Department for Emergency Situations recommended that the population avoid non-essential travel, and those who must travel were advised to check whether the route they intend to take is passable. In areas where the wind is strong, it is recommended to avoid parking near trees, poles, billboards, or buildings with construction elements that may come loose. There is a high risk of avalanches in the mountains, with mountain rescuers advising tourists to stay in the area. (MI)